Jeremy Wariner
Encyclopedia
Jeremy Mathew Wariner is an American
track athlete
specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic
medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships
medals. He is the third fastest competitor in the history of the 400 m event with a personal best of 43.45 seconds, after Butch Reynolds
, and Michael Johnson
.
A successful college athlete, Wariner won the 400 m and 4 × 400 meters relay gold medals at his first Olympics in Athens 2004
. He followed this with two gold medals at the 2005 World Championships
in the same events. He remained undefeated in the 400 m event during the 2006 ÅF Golden League, earning him the $250,000 jackpot. He remained World Champion in the 400 meters individual and relay events at the 2007 Osaka World Championships
, earning him the 2007 Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award
. He won the 4x400 m relay gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but took silver in the 400 m, finishing behind fellow countryman LaShawn Merritt
. Wariner picked up the silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, again finishing second to Merritt.
in Arlington, Texas
, participating in multiple sports and being recognized for his outstanding speed. Under the coaching of Mike Nelson, who also coached 110 meters hurdler
Reggie Harrell
at Lamar High School
, he was the 1996 Texas 5A state sprint champion at both 200 meters and 400 meters, setting high school bests of 20.41 seconds (wind assisted) and 45.57 s respectively. Enrolling at Baylor University
, he quickly established himself as a collegiate sprint talent under the guidance of Clyde Hart
, who was also coach of Baylor alumnus and four-time Olympic 400 m gold medal winner and also a two-time world champion Michael Johnson
. Somewhat hampered by injuries late in his freshman year, Wariner regained form as a sophomore, winning both the 2004 NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor 400 m titles. Later that year, he claimed the national 400 m title at the USATF Championships making him the favorite for the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
in Athens
.
Wariner then made his first appearance on the world athletic stage at the 2004 Summer Olympics
. He won two Olympic gold medals, the first in the 400 m in a personal record 44.00 s and the second as the third leg of the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team. Following his Olympic successes, he turned professional, forgoing the rest of his collegiate eligibility, though he remained at his mother's house and continued to be coached by Clyde Hart.
on a cold and rainy day he won the 400 m in 43.93 seconds. He would then anchor the American team in the 4 × 400 m relay for the gold medal.
Early in 2006, Wariner competed in the 200 m lowering his personal best to 20.19 s. Later that year he would set a new personal best of 43.62 seconds at 400 m at the Golden Gala
Meet in Rome
. Together with Asafa Powell
(100 m) and Sanya Richards
(women's 400 m) he won his sixth out of six Golden League events (400 m) in the same season, which earned him a total of $250,000.
In 2007 he filled a summer with dominating 400 m performances culminating with the Osaka World Championships
where on August 31, 2007 he would win the 400 m in 43.45 s thereby improving his personal best to become the third-fastest of all time (only Michael Johnson
and Butch Reynolds
have run faster).
in the 400 m final of the USATF championship and secure his place on the U.S. Olympic team in the 400 m event and the 4x400 m relay team.
In the 2008 Olympics, Wariner qualified for the final with a time of 44.12 s, in a run which he slowed down considerably in the final fifty meters. This led to much anticipation that he could beat Michael Johnson's world record in the final, but instead he took the silver, unexpectedly losing to LaShawn Merritt
by nearly a full second. David Neville
came in third completing a United States sweep of the 400 m.
Following his disappointment with the silver medal at the Olympics, Wariner admitted he had made a mistake in sacking Hart. He apologized to the emeritus
coach after Johnson advised him that his new workout programme with Ford was lacking in some areas & took him back on as Coach. The emergence of Merritt had left Wariner as the second-best athlete for the first time in his professional career.
In the 2009 World Championships
, Wariner won the silver medal in the 400 m, again finishing behind LaShawn Merritt, and the gold medal in the 4x400m relay.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
track athlete
Track and field
Track and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
specializing in the 400 meters. He has won four Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
medals (three gold, one silver) and six World Championships
IAAF World Championships in Athletics
The World Championships in Athletics is an event organized by the International Association of Athletics Federations . Originally, it was organised every four years, but this changed in 1991, and it has since been organised biennially.-History:...
medals. He is the third fastest competitor in the history of the 400 m event with a personal best of 43.45 seconds, after Butch Reynolds
Butch Reynolds
Harry "Butch" Reynolds is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the 400 meter dash. He held the world record for the event for eleven years with his personal best time of 43.29 seconds set in 1988. That year he was the silver medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and a...
, and Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
.
A successful college athlete, Wariner won the 400 m and 4 × 400 meters relay gold medals at his first Olympics in Athens 2004
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He followed this with two gold medals at the 2005 World Championships
2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
in the same events. He remained undefeated in the 400 m event during the 2006 ÅF Golden League, earning him the $250,000 jackpot. He remained World Champion in the 400 meters individual and relay events at the 2007 Osaka World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
, earning him the 2007 Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award
Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award
The Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award was presented annually between 1993 and 2006 to the male track and field athlete, irrespective of nationality, adjudged to be the best in a given calendar year...
. He won the 4x400 m relay gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics but took silver in the 400 m, finishing behind fellow countryman LaShawn Merritt
LaShawn Merritt
LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...
. Wariner picked up the silver medal in the 2009 World Championships, again finishing second to Merritt.
Early career
Jeremy Wariner attended Lamar High SchoolLamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
Mirabeau B. Lamar High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. It is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, and located at 1400 West Lamar Boulevard....
in Arlington, Texas
Arlington, Texas
Arlington is a city in Tarrant County, Texas within the Dallas–Fort Worth metropolitan area. According to the 2010 census results, the city had a population of 365,438, making it the third largest municipality in the Metroplex...
, participating in multiple sports and being recognized for his outstanding speed. Under the coaching of Mike Nelson, who also coached 110 meters hurdler
110 metres hurdles
The 110 metres hurdles is a hurdling track and field event for men. It is incuded in the athletics programme at the Summer Olympic Games. The female counterpart is the 100 metre hurdles. As part of a racing event, ten hurdles of 1.067 metres in height are evenly spaced along a straight...
Reggie Harrell
Reggie Harrell
Reginald Lester Harrell, Jr. is an American football wide receiver in the National Football League who is currently a free agent. He most recently played for the Chicago Bears, but was waived on August 27, 2006. He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Jets out of...
at Lamar High School
Lamar High School (Arlington, Texas)
Mirabeau B. Lamar High School is a secondary school in Arlington, Texas. It is named for Mirabeau B. Lamar, the second president of the Republic of Texas, and located at 1400 West Lamar Boulevard....
, he was the 1996 Texas 5A state sprint champion at both 200 meters and 400 meters, setting high school bests of 20.41 seconds (wind assisted) and 45.57 s respectively. Enrolling at Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
, he quickly established himself as a collegiate sprint talent under the guidance of Clyde Hart
Clyde Hart
Clyde Hart is the director of track and field at Baylor University. Hart retired as head coach for the Baylor track program on June 14, 2005 after 42 years with the program....
, who was also coach of Baylor alumnus and four-time Olympic 400 m gold medal winner and also a two-time world champion Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
. Somewhat hampered by injuries late in his freshman year, Wariner regained form as a sophomore, winning both the 2004 NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor 400 m titles. Later that year, he claimed the national 400 m title at the USATF Championships making him the favorite for the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics
Athletics at the 2004 Summer Olympics
At the 2004 Summer Olympics, the athletics events were held at the Athens Olympic Stadium from August 18 to August 29, except for the marathons , the race walks , and the shot put...
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
.
Wariner then made his first appearance on the world athletic stage at the 2004 Summer Olympics
2004 Summer Olympics
The 2004 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the Games of the XXVIII Olympiad, was a premier international multi-sport event held in Athens, Greece from August 13 to August 29, 2004 with the motto Welcome Home. 10,625 athletes competed, some 600 more than expected, accompanied by 5,501 team...
. He won two Olympic gold medals, the first in the 400 m in a personal record 44.00 s and the second as the third leg of the U.S. 4 × 400 meters relay team. Following his Olympic successes, he turned professional, forgoing the rest of his collegiate eligibility, though he remained at his mother's house and continued to be coached by Clyde Hart.
Professional career
The next year, Wariner won the 400 m at the 2005 USATF championship with a time of 44.20 s. At the Helsinki World Championships2005 World Championships in Athletics
The 10th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held in the Olympic Stadium, Helsinki, Finland , the site of the first IAAF World Championships in 1983. One theme of the 2005 championships was paralympic sports, some of...
on a cold and rainy day he won the 400 m in 43.93 seconds. He would then anchor the American team in the 4 × 400 m relay for the gold medal.
Early in 2006, Wariner competed in the 200 m lowering his personal best to 20.19 s. Later that year he would set a new personal best of 43.62 seconds at 400 m at the Golden Gala
Golden Gala
Golden Gala is an annual track and field event at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, Italy. Previously one of the IAAF Golden League events, it is now part of the IAAF Diamond League.-History:...
Meet in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. Together with Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell
Asafa Powell C.D is a Jamaican sprinter who specialises in the 100 metres. He held the 100 m world record between June 2005 and May 2008, with times of 9.77 and 9.74 seconds respectively. Powell has consistently broken the 10-second barrier in competition, with his personal best of...
(100 m) and Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards
Sanya Richards-Ross is a track and field athlete who competes internationally for the United States. She won an Olympic gold medal in the 4×400 meters relay at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China, an individual bronze medal at the 2008 Olympics for the 400 m, and a gold medal in the 2009...
(women's 400 m) he won his sixth out of six Golden League events (400 m) in the same season, which earned him a total of $250,000.
In 2007 he filled a summer with dominating 400 m performances culminating with the Osaka World Championships
2007 World Championships in Athletics
The 11th World Championships in Athletics, under the auspices of the International Association of Athletics Federations , were held at Nagai Stadium in Osaka, Japan from 24 August to 2 September 2007...
where on August 31, 2007 he would win the 400 m in 43.45 s thereby improving his personal best to become the third-fastest of all time (only Michael Johnson
Michael Johnson (athlete)
Michael Duane Johnson is a retired American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight world championship gold medals. Johnson currently holds the world and Olympic records in the 400 m and 4 x 400 meters relay. He formerly held the world and Olympic record in the 200 m, and the world...
and Butch Reynolds
Butch Reynolds
Harry "Butch" Reynolds is an American former track and field athlete who competed in the 400 meter dash. He held the world record for the event for eleven years with his personal best time of 43.29 seconds set in 1988. That year he was the silver medalist at the 1988 Seoul Olympics and a...
have run faster).
Rivalry with Merritt
In 2008, Wariner left long-time coach Clyde Hart in favour of working with Baylor assistant coach Michael Ford. This was an unexpected move as Wariner had much success under Hart, who had also coached his agent Michael Johnson. Wariner stated that he needed a change as Hart was nearing retirement, although the coach said that the split was due to a pay dispute. By the time of the 2008 USATF championship Wariner and Johnson had to face many probing questions regarding the reasons for such a change in an Olympic year. He finished second to LaShawn MerrittLaShawn Merritt
LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...
in the 400 m final of the USATF championship and secure his place on the U.S. Olympic team in the 400 m event and the 4x400 m relay team.
LaShawn Merritt
LaShawn Merritt is an American track and field athlete who competes in sprinting events, specializing in the 400 meters. He is the reigning Olympic champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.75 seconds makes him the fifth fastest of all time...
by nearly a full second. David Neville
David Neville (athlete)
David Neville is an American sprinter who specializes in the 400 meters and two-time medalist in the Summer Olympics...
came in third completing a United States sweep of the 400 m.
Following his disappointment with the silver medal at the Olympics, Wariner admitted he had made a mistake in sacking Hart. He apologized to the emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
coach after Johnson advised him that his new workout programme with Ford was lacking in some areas & took him back on as Coach. The emergence of Merritt had left Wariner as the second-best athlete for the first time in his professional career.
In the 2009 World Championships
2009 World Championships in Athletics
The 12th IAAF World Championships in Athletics were held in Berlin, Germany from 15–23 August 2009. The majority of events took place in the Olympiastadion, while the marathon and racewalking events started and finished at the Brandenburg Gate....
, Wariner won the silver medal in the 400 m, again finishing behind LaShawn Merritt, and the gold medal in the 4x400m relay.
Personal bests
| Event | Time (seconds) | Place | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 200 meters | 20.19 | Carson, California Carson, California Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city.... , United States |
May 21, 2006 |
| 300 meters | 31.61 | Ostrava Ostrava Ostrava is the third largest city in the Czech Republic and the second largest urban agglomeration after Prague. Located close to the Polish border, it is also the administrative center of the Moravian-Silesian Region and of the Municipality with Extended Competence. Ostrava was candidate for the... , Czech Republic |
June 12, 2008 |
| 400 meters | 43.45 | Osaka Osaka is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe... , Japan |
August 31, 2007 |
| 400 meters (indoor) | 45.39 | Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville, Arkansas Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks... , United States |
March 13, 2004 |
External links
- Official website
- USATF profile for Jeremy Wariner
- SPIKES Hero profile at www.spikesmag.com
- "Jeremy Wariner", n°14 on TimeTime (magazine)Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
’s list of "100 Olympic Athletes To Watch"