IAFF World Championships 2013: American Merritt regains 400m title

LaShawn Merritt of the United States celebrates winning gold in the Men’s 400 metres final during Day Four of the 14th IAAF World Athletics Championships Moscow 2013 at Luzhniki Stadium on August 13. (Getty Images)

Moscow, Aug 14 (IANS): American LaShawn Merritt ran this year’s fastest time of 43.74 seconds to regain the World 400 metres title he lost to Kirani James of Grenada two years ago.

Merritt, one of the two favourites in the race Tuesday night, took the race from the start and never looked back, leaving James struggling at the back to finish a disappointing seventh.

Another American, Tony McQuay took the second spot in a personal best 44.40 and Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic was third in a season’s best 44.52.

This is the second time James lost to Merritt this year after finishing second at the Prefontaine Classic in Oregon in June.