Jonathan Borlee of Belgium competes in the Men's 400m Round 1 Heats on Day 8 of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Olympic Stadium on August 4, 2012 (© Getty Images )
LaShawn Merritt won’t be defending his 400m title after a hamstring injury knocked him out of the opening round.
Merritt, the world leader at 44.12 this season, pulled up some 180 metres into the sixth of seven heats bringing an inauspicious end to his bid to become only the second man to successfully defend an Olympic 400m title.
"I’ve been having treatments since I got here," said Merritt, who sustained injury at the Meeting Herculis, Monaco’s Samsung Diamond League fixture, on 20 July.
"When you want it so bad, you do what it takes. I thought I could come out and make my way through. I tried to go for it. It just didn't happen."
With 24 runners moving on to tomorrow evening’s semi-finals, there were few other major casualties in the opening round, but a number of fast times, particularly in the third heat won by Jonathan Borlee. His 44.43 was the second fastest performance ever in an Olympic opening round, as well as a massive personal best.
"I’m feeling really good," said Borlee, who retook the Belgian national record from his twin brother Kevin. Prior to this morning, the 24-year-old’s best was 44.71.
"I didn’t run all out. I’m in good shape. I didn’t want to run that fast this morning but it’s good for tomorrow. I had to find my rhythm."
Finishing second, Pavel Maslak, the 21-year-old European champion, improved his own Czech national record to 44.91. Pavel Trenikhin knocked nearly a quarter of a second from his previous best, clocking 45.00 for third.
There was another sub-45 second run in heat four, dominated by Bahamian Demetrius Pinder who clocked 44.92. Bryshon Nellum of the U.S. ran well down the homestretch to finish second, clocking 45.29. The 23-year-old Nellum entered 2012 with a 45.56 personal best and improved all the way to 44.80 at the U.S. trials where he finished third - 44 months after gunshot wounds to both legs left him wondering if he’d ever run again.
The round began with a quick run by Luguelin Santos, the World Junior champion from the Dominican Republic, who took Heat One in 45.04. Oscar Pistorius, the South African 'Blade Runner’, produced his trademark strong finish to take second in 45.44, a season’s best by 0.08.
World champion Kirani James advanced without difficulty, winning the second heat in a relaxed 45.23 from Bahamian Ramon Miller (45.57).
The focus on Merritt’s troubles in the sixth heat overshadowed 19-year-old Steven Solomon’s 45.18 victory, a significant PB for the World Junior Championships bronze medallist who arrived in the British capital with a 45.52 career best. Trinidad’s Lalonde Gordon was second in 45.43, ahead of Briton Conrad Williams (46.12) who secured the heat’s third automatic qualifying spot.
The second Borlee twin, Kevin, won the last heat in 45.14 comfortably ahead of Briton Martyn Rooney (45.36) and Sudan’s Rabah Yousif (45.46).
Heat Five, the slowest of the morning, went to Bahamian veteran Chris Brown in 45.40, with American Tony McQuay (45.48) second and Nigel Levine (45.58) in third.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
Merritt, the world leader at 44.12 this season, pulled up some 180 metres into the sixth of seven heats bringing an inauspicious end to his bid to become only the second man to successfully defend an Olympic 400m title.
"I’ve been having treatments since I got here," said Merritt, who sustained injury at the Meeting Herculis, Monaco’s Samsung Diamond League fixture, on 20 July.
"When you want it so bad, you do what it takes. I thought I could come out and make my way through. I tried to go for it. It just didn't happen."
With 24 runners moving on to tomorrow evening’s semi-finals, there were few other major casualties in the opening round, but a number of fast times, particularly in the third heat won by Jonathan Borlee. His 44.43 was the second fastest performance ever in an Olympic opening round, as well as a massive personal best.
"I’m feeling really good," said Borlee, who retook the Belgian national record from his twin brother Kevin. Prior to this morning, the 24-year-old’s best was 44.71.
"I didn’t run all out. I’m in good shape. I didn’t want to run that fast this morning but it’s good for tomorrow. I had to find my rhythm."
Finishing second, Pavel Maslak, the 21-year-old European champion, improved his own Czech national record to 44.91. Pavel Trenikhin knocked nearly a quarter of a second from his previous best, clocking 45.00 for third.
There was another sub-45 second run in heat four, dominated by Bahamian Demetrius Pinder who clocked 44.92. Bryshon Nellum of the U.S. ran well down the homestretch to finish second, clocking 45.29. The 23-year-old Nellum entered 2012 with a 45.56 personal best and improved all the way to 44.80 at the U.S. trials where he finished third - 44 months after gunshot wounds to both legs left him wondering if he’d ever run again.
The round began with a quick run by Luguelin Santos, the World Junior champion from the Dominican Republic, who took Heat One in 45.04. Oscar Pistorius, the South African 'Blade Runner’, produced his trademark strong finish to take second in 45.44, a season’s best by 0.08.
World champion Kirani James advanced without difficulty, winning the second heat in a relaxed 45.23 from Bahamian Ramon Miller (45.57).
The focus on Merritt’s troubles in the sixth heat overshadowed 19-year-old Steven Solomon’s 45.18 victory, a significant PB for the World Junior Championships bronze medallist who arrived in the British capital with a 45.52 career best. Trinidad’s Lalonde Gordon was second in 45.43, ahead of Briton Conrad Williams (46.12) who secured the heat’s third automatic qualifying spot.
The second Borlee twin, Kevin, won the last heat in 45.14 comfortably ahead of Briton Martyn Rooney (45.36) and Sudan’s Rabah Yousif (45.46).
Heat Five, the slowest of the morning, went to Bahamian veteran Chris Brown in 45.40, with American Tony McQuay (45.48) second and Nigel Levine (45.58) in third.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
