View source for Aries Merritt

{{Short description|American hurdler (born 1985)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2021}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name           = Aries Merritt
| image          = Aries Merritt Istanbul 2012 cropped.jpg
| caption        = Merritt at the [[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships]]
| birth_date     = {{birth date and age|1985|07|24|mf=y}}
| birth_place    = [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], U.S.
| residence      = [[Bryan, Texas]]
| height         = {{convert|6|ft|1|in|cm|abbr=on}}<ref name="teamusa.org">{{cite web |url=https://www.teamusa.org/usa-track-and-field/athletes/Aries-Merritt |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150901033321/http://www.teamusa.org/usa-track-and-field/athletes/Aries-Merritt |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 1, 2015 |title=Aries Merritt |website=teamusa.org |publisher=[[United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee|USOC]] |access-date=July 29, 2020}}</ref>
| weight         = {{convert|158|lb|kg|abbr=on}}<ref name="teamusa.org"/>
| sport          = [[Running]]
| event          = [[Hurdling|Hurdles]]
| collegeteam    = [[Tennessee Volunteers]]
| hometown       = [[Marietta, Georgia]], U.S.
| pb             = 
| show-medals    = yes
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 London]]|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|110&nbsp;m hurdles]]}}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|2015 Beijing]]|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|110&nbsp;m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Indoor Championships}}
{{MedalGold|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2012 Istanbul]]|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles|60 m hurdles]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships}}
{{MedalGold|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics|2004 Grosseto]]|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics - Men's 110 metres hurdles|110 m hurdles]]}}
| updated        = 28 August 2015
}}

'''Aries Merritt''' (born July 24, 1985) is an American [[track and field]] athlete who specializes in the [[110 metres hurdles|110 metre hurdles]], and currently holds the [[List of world records in athletics|world record]] in that event with a time of 12.80&nbsp;s set on September 7, 2012.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.iaaf.org/athletes/united-states/aries-merritt-200563| title = Aries MERRITT {{!}} Profile {{!}} World Athletics}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.diamondleague-brussels.com/en/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/100m-Hurdles-Women/ |title=110m Hurdles Men |access-date=2012-09-07 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120910004652/http://www.diamondleague-brussels.com/en/Live-StartlistsResults/Overview/100m-Hurdles-Women/ |archive-date=2012-09-10 }}</ref> He won the gold medal in the 110 metre hurdles at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]] in [[London]].

==Background==
Born in [[Chicago]], [[Illinois]], he moved to [[Marietta, Georgia]] at a young age, attending [[Joseph Wheeler High School]], where he was teammates with [[Reggie Witherspoon (athlete)|Reggie Witherspoon]]. Merritt ran for the [[University of Tennessee]] from 2003 to 2006 and had a successful college career, a seven-time All-American. He took the 110 meter hurdles gold at the [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics|2004 World Junior Championships]] and finished sixth at the [[2006 IAAF World Athletics Final|2006 World Athletics Final]]. Also in 2006, he won the [[NCAA Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship|NCAA Championships]], [[NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships – Men's 60 meter hurdles|Indoors]] and [[NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships – Men's 110 meter hurdles|Outdoors]] and was undefeated in all hurdles events that year. He broke [[Willie Gault]]'s [[Tennessee Volunteers men's track and field|Tennessee Volunteers]] hurdles record. His victory at the NCAA Championships in 13.21&nbsp;s was the second fastest ever collegiate time in the United States, behind only [[Renaldo Nehemiah]]. He reached the [[2008 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final in 2008]], finishing in fourth.
Merritt is the first hurdler to ever win gold in the US Indoor Championship, the World Indoor Championship (Istanbul, Turkey), the US Olympic Trials, and the Olympic Games all in the same year.

==Professional athletics career==
===2011===
In the final of the [[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|110 m hurdles at the 2011 World Championships in Athletics]], Merritt was initially classified 6th, with a time of 13.67&nbsp;s. After [[Dayron Robles]] was disqualified, Merritt was promoted to 5th. His season's best was 13.12&nbsp;s, achieved in Eugene, Oregon and Oslo.

===2012===
Merritt began the 2012 campaign by altering his approach to the first hurdle, switching from eight to seven steps.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/london/story/2012-07-23/Merritts-risky-adjustment-helps-him-step-into-Olympics/56440402/1 |work=USA Today |title=Aries Merritt's risky change helps him step into Olympics |date=July 23, 2012}}</ref> In an interview he stated, "[it] was pretty risky to make a change like that, but something had to be done if I was going to compete with (Liu Xiang of China and Dayron Robles of Cuba). The change allows me to maintain my momentum going into the first barrier." Merrit's change was highly successful for the 2012 indoor season as he became the indoor world champion in the 60 meters hurdles at the [[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2012 World Indoor Championships]] in [[Istanbul]]. In the final, he beat [[Liu Xiang (hurdler)|Liu Xiang]] and [[Pascal Martinot-Lagarde]] with a time of 7.44&nbsp;s.

====2012 Summer Olympics====
{{See also|Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics}}

At the [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|Olympic trials]] in Oregon, Merritt won the 110 meter hurdles final in a world leading time of 12.93&nbsp;s,<ref>{{YouTube|jQanySaHsbY}}</ref> making the Olympic team for the first time. Merritt subsequently matched the time at two consecutive [[Diamond League]] events, at Crystal Palace and Monaco, winning both races.

At the [[2012 Summer Olympics|2012 Olympic Games]] in London, Merritt began by running the fastest qualifying time in the heats with a time of 13.07&nbsp;s. In the semi-finals, he was again dominant with a time of 12.94&nbsp;s. In the final, [[Dayron Robles]] and Merritt got the fastest starts but Merritt pulled ahead at hurdle 3. He continued to a personal best of 12.92&nbsp;s and a 0.12&nbsp;s win over reigning world champion [[Jason Richardson (athlete)|Jason Richardson]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Long |first=Mark |title=Aries Merritt Wins 110-Meter Hurdles Gold, Jason Richardson Takes Silver |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/aries-merritt-jason-richardson-hurdles-olympics_n_1757917.html |access-date=2012-08-08 |newspaper=The Huffington Post |date=2012-08-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18907751 |title=Aries Merritt claims 110m hurdles Olympic gold |access-date=2012-08-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120811061302/http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/olympics/18907751 |archive-date=2012-08-11 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

====World record====
On September 7, 2012, at the final Diamond League meet ([[Memorial Van Damme]]) in Brussels, Belgium, Merritt ran a time of 12.80&nbsp;s in the 110 meter hurdles, shattering the old world record of 12.87&nbsp;s held by Dayron Robles. Merritt's performance was the largest drop in the world record for 110 meter hurdles (0.07&nbsp;s) since [[Renaldo Nehemiah|Nehemiah]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/249667-2012-Brussels-Diamond-League-Memorial-Van-Damme/article/14324-Aries-Merrit-Greatest-of-All-Time |title=Aries Merritt: Greatest of All-Time &#124; 2012 Brussels Diamond League: Memorial van Damme &#124; Flotrack |access-date=2012-09-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121225140912/http://www.flotrack.org/coverage/249667-2012-Brussels-Diamond-League-Memorial-Van-Damme/article/14324-Aries-Merrit-Greatest-of-All-Time |archive-date=2012-12-25 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Merrit ran consistently throughout the 2012 season. The following are his times that lead-up to his world record performance in the 110 meter hurdles:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Meet
! Date
! Time
|-
| [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|2012 U.S. Olympic Trials]] (final)
| June 30, 2012
| 12.93
|-
| [[London Grand Prix|Aviva London Grand Prix]]
| July 13, 2012
| 12.93
|-
| [[Herculis]]
| July 20, 2012
| 12.93
|-
| [[2012 Summer Olympics]] (final)
| August 8, 2012
| 12.92
|-
| [[British Grand Prix (athletics)|Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix]]
| August 26, 2012
| 12.95
|-
| [[Internationales Stadionfest]]
| September 2, 2012
| 12.97
|-
| [[Memorial Van Damme|Belgacom Memorial Van Damme]]
| September 7, 2012
| 12.80 [[Image:Sport records icon WR.svg|20px|World Record]]
|}

===2013===
Merritt finished 6th at the [[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|World Championships]]. After the competition, he felt very ill and was diagnosed with collapsing [[focal segmental glomerulosclerosis]], a rare congenital [[kidney]] disease,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/29/sports/days-before-kidney-transplant-aries-merritt-wins-bronze-in-hurdles.html |title=Days Before Kidney Transplant, Aries Merritt Wins Bronze in Hurdles |last=Clarey |first=Christopher |date=28 August 2015 |work=The New York Times |access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref> aggravated by a [[parvovirus]] that had attacked his kidneys and [[bone marrow]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/May/04/After-Kidney-Transplant-Olympic-Champion-Aries-Merritt-Has-Heart-Set-On-Rio-Gold |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160506062352/http://www.teamusa.org/News/2016/May/04/After-Kidney-Transplant-Olympic-Champion-Aries-Merritt-Has-Heart-Set-On-Rio-Gold |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 6, 2016 |title=After Kidney Transplant, Olympic Champion Aries Merritt Has Heart Set On Rio Gold |last=Rosen |first=Karen |date=4 May 2016 |work=TeamUSA.org |publisher=[[United States Olympic Committee]] |access-date=17 May 2016}}</ref> After several months of medical treatment, he was eventually able to return to competition on the following year, albeit far from his previous registers.<ref name=KidneyRecovery>{{cite news |last1=Mulkeen |first1=John |title=Merritt is on the road to recovery after life threatening illness |url=http://www.iaaf.org/competitions/iaaf-world-championships/news/aries-merritt-hurdles-kidney-disease |work=IAAF.org |date=20 August 2015}}</ref>

===2015===
Merrit's recovery from his kidney problems was enough to allow him to finish third in the [[2015 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships|USATF Outdoor Championships]] in June, obtaining a place for the [[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|World Championship]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.legacy.usatf.org/Events---Calendar/2015/USATF-Outdoor-Championships/Results-by-Day/Results-FULL.aspx |title=USA Track & Field - Results - FULL |publisher=Legacy.usatf.org |date= |accessdate=2022-08-26}}</ref> On 28 August he won the bronze medal in the 110m hurdles, just four days before undergoing a scheduled kidney transplant.<ref name=KidneyRecovery /><ref name=KidneyTransplant>{{cite news |last1=Graham |first1=Pat |title=Right after world championships, American hurdler Aries Merritt will undergo kidney transplant |url=http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/da41c9dafb0143929e02e80884f30210/ATH--Worlds-Merritts-Health |access-date=1 September 2015 |work=Daily Reporter |date=26 August 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150905111024/http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/da41c9dafb0143929e02e80884f30210/ATH--Worlds-Merritts-Health |archive-date=5 September 2015 }}</ref>

===2017===
He won the [[2017 IAAF Diamond League]] 110 m hurdles in [[Golden Gala|Rome]] on June 8, 2017.

=== 2021 ===
Merritt sought to qualify for the pandemic-delayed [[2020 Summer Olympics|Tokyo Olympics]] in 2021 but did not succeed.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2020-04-25 |title=Aries Merritt hopes to make Tokyo Olympics his last |url=https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/aries-merritt-retire-track-and-field-hurdles |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=NBC Sports |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Post-retirement ==
Merritt served as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at [[Brown University]] 2022-2024.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Brown Bears Podcast: World Record Holder Aries Merritt, Assistant Coach, Track & Field |url=https://brownbears.com/news/2023/2/17/mens-track-field-brown-bears-podcast-world-record-holder-aries-merritt-assistant-coach-track-field |access-date=2024-06-10 |website=Brown University Athletics |language=en}}</ref> In the fall of 2024 he was hired as an assistant coach at [[Texas State University]].

==Personal bests==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Event
! Best
! Location
! Date
! Note(s)
|-
| [[55 meters hurdles]]
| 7.10 s
| [[Gainesville, Florida]], United States
| January 21, 2006
|
|-
| [[60 meters hurdles]]
| 7.43 s
| [[Albuquerque, New Mexico]], United States
| February 26, 2012
|
|-
|[[110 meters hurdles]]
|12.80 s
| [[Brussels]], Belgium
| September 7, 2012
|'''[[List of world records in athletics|WR]]'''
|-
| [[200 meters]]
| 21.46 s
| [[Bloomington, Indiana]], United States
| January 7, 2006
|
|-
| [[400 meters hurdles]]
| 51.94 s
| [[Knoxville, Tennessee]], United States
| April 9, 2004
|
|}

===International competition record===
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes}}
|-
!colspan="6"|Representing {{USA}}
|-
|2004
|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
|[[Grosseto, Italy]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|rowspan=3|110 m hurdles
|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.56]] <small>(wind: -0.6&nbsp;m/s)</small>
|-
|2009
|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Berlin, Germany]]
|27th (h)
|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.70]]
|-
|2011
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Daegu, South Korea]]
|5th
|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.67]]
|-
|rowspan=2|2012
|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Istanbul, Turkey]]
| rowspan="2" style="background:gold;"|1st
|60 m hurdles
|[[2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles|7.44]]
|-
|[[2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[London]], United Kingdom
|rowspan=4|110 m hurdles
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|12.92]]
|-
|2013
|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Moscow]], Russia
|6th
|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.31]]
|-
|2015
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[Beijing, China]]
| style="background:#c96;"|3rd
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.04]]
|-
|2017
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[London, United Kingdom]]
|5th
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 110 metres hurdles|13.31]]
|-
|2018
|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
|[[Birmingham, United Kingdom]]
|4th
|60 m hurdles
|[[2018 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 60 metres hurdles|7.56]]
|}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Aries Merritt}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{USATF|Aries-Merritt}}
* [https://www.espn.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/?athID=25669 Aries Merritt] at [[DyeStat]]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|rec}}
{{succession box|before=[[Dayron Robles]]|title=[[Men's 110 metres hurdles world record progression|Men's 110 m hurdles world record holder]]|years=September 7, 2012&nbsp;– present|after=Incumbent}}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer USA Track & Field 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 110 m hurdles Men}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 60m Hurdles Men}}
{{USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners in men's 60 m hurdles}}
{{Footer US NC 110m Hurdles Men}}
{{Footer IAAF Diamond League 110 Metres Hurdles Champions Men}}
{{Footer World Junior Champions men's 110 metres hurdles}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Aries}}
[[Category:1985 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Chicago]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Georgia (U.S. state)]]
[[Category:American male hurdlers]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Olympic male hurdlers]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:World Athletics record holders]]
[[Category:Tennessee Volunteers men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Kidney transplant recipients]]
[[Category:Diamond League winners]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:USA Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:NCAA Division I Indoor Track and Field Championships winners]]