View source for LaShawn Merritt

{{short description|American sprinter (born 1986)}}
{{Infobox sportsperson
| name = LaShawn Merritt
| image = LaShawn Merritt 2012 Shankbone.JPG
| image_size =
| caption = Merritt at the 2012 [[Tribeca Film Festival]].
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|6|27}}
| birth_place = [[Portsmouth, Virginia|Portsmouth]], [[Virginia]], U.S.
| height = {{convert|6|ft|2|in|cm|abbr=on}}
| weight = {{convert|185|lb|kg|abbr=on}}
| sport = [[Track and field]]
| event = [[400 metres]]
| collegeteam = [[East Carolina Pirates]]
| coach = Dennis Mitchell<ref>{{cite news|url=https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/05/07/lashawn-merritt-track-and-field/ | title=Where did LaShawn Merritt go? | website=NBC Sports | author=Nick Zaccardi | date=May 7, 2020}}</ref>
| pb =
| show-medals = no
| medaltemplates = 
{{MedalCount
|[[Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]|3|0|1
|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]|8|3|0
|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]]|1|0|0
|[[IAAF World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]|3|0|0
|'''Total'''|'''15'''|'''3'''|'''1'''
}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Athletics (sport)|athletics]]}}
{{MedalCountry|the {{USA}}}}
{{MedalOlympic}}
{{MedalGold|[[2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Beijing]]|[[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|2008 Beijing|[[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalBronze|[[2016 Summer Olympics|2016 Rio de Janeiro]]|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics|2005 Helsinki]]|[[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 Osaka]]|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics|2009 Berlin]]|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|2009 Berlin|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|2011 Daegu]]|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics|2013 Moscow]]|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|2013 Moscow|[[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|2015 Beijing]]|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalSilver|2007 Osaka|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|2011 Daegu|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalSilver|2015 Beijing|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Indoor Championships in Athletics|World Indoor Championships]]}}
{{MedalGold|[[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships|2006 Moscow]]|[[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF World Relays|World Relay Championships]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 IAAF World Relays|2014 Nassau]]|[[2014 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2015 IAAF World Relays|2015 Nassau]]|[[2015 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2017 IAAF World Relays|2017 Nassau]]|[[2017 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[IAAF 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 400 metres|400 m]]}}
{{MedalGold|2004 Grosseto|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]}}
{{MedalGold|2004 Grosseto|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]}}
{{MedalCountry | [[File:Americas (orthographic projection).svg|20px]] [[Americas]] }}
{{Medal|Competition|[[IAAF Continental Cup|Continental Cup]]}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2006 IAAF World Cup|2006 Athens]]|400 m}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2006 IAAF World Cup|2006 Athens]]|4 × 400 m}}
{{Medal|Gold|[[2014 IAAF Continental Cup|2014 Marrakech]]|400 m}}
{{Medal|Bronze|[[2014 IAAF Continental Cup|2014 Marrakech]]|4 × 400 m}}
}}

'''LaShawn Merritt''' (born June 27, 1986) is a retired American [[track and field]] athlete who competed in [[sprinting events]], specializing in the [[400 metres]]. He is a former [[Summer Olympics|Olympic]] champion over the distance and his personal best of 43.65 seconds makes him the eleventh fastest of all time.

Merritt was a successful junior athlete and won the 400&nbsp;m gold at the [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics]], as well as setting two [[List of junior world records in athletics|world junior records]] in the relays. He became part of the American [[4 × 400 meter relay]] team and helped win the event at the [[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships]]. He established himself individually in 2007 by winning a [[silver medal]] in the 400&nbsp;m at the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics|2007 World Championships]].

He came out on top of a rivalry with [[Jeremy Wariner]] in 2008 by winning in the [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics|2008 Olympic final]] in a personal best time, and by a record margin of 0.99 secs. He also broke the [[List of Olympic records in athletics|Olympic record]] in the relay with the American team, recording the second fastest time ever. Merritt established himself as the World Champion with a win at the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics]] in the 400&nbsp;m and the 4 × 400&nbsp;m relay.

Merritt served a 21-month doping ban between 2009 and 2011 for unintential use of DHEA and pregnenolone.

==Biography==
Merritt is a native of [[Portsmouth, Virginia]] where he graduated from [[Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia)|Woodrow Wilson High School]]. He spent one year as a college athlete at [[East Carolina University]], signing an endorsement contract with [[Nike, Inc.|Nike]] during his first season of indoor track, making him ineligible to compete in an NCAA event. Merritt then transferred to [[Old Dominion University]] in [[Norfolk, Virginia]]. He studied business administration at [[Norfolk State University]] also located in Norfolk.<ref>[http://www.legacy.usatf.org/athletes/bios/Merritt_LaShawn.asp LaShawn Merritt]. [[USATF]]. Retrieved on 2010-06-27.</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.dailypress.com/sports/dp-spt-oly-tab-lashawn-merrit-glance-20160731-story.html|title = Portsmouth native LaShawn Merritt to compete in track and field for U.S.| date=31 July 2016 }}</ref>

===Early career===
Merritt came to prominence as a junior athlete at the [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics]]. He took the gold medal in the 400 meters race and set two [[List of junior world records in athletics|junior world records]] as part of the American 4 × 100 and 4 × 400 meter relay teams.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/history/WJC/season=2004/eventCode=3229/news/kind=100/newsid=26313.html Grosseto – Three World Junior records set in the space of 90 minutes]. [[IAAF]] (2004-07-18). Retrieved on 2009-06-02.</ref> He took part in the [[2005 World Championships in Athletics]], his first major senior championship, and acted as the relay substitute for the men's 4 × 400&nbsp; m. He helped the team win their heat and was substituted for [[Jeremy Wariner]] for the final, where the American team won the gold medal.<ref>[http://www.iaaf.org/history/wch/season=2005/eventcode=3365/results/bydiscipline/disctype=4/sex=M/discCode=4X4/combCode=hash/roundCode=h/results. html#detM_4X4_hash_h 4x400 Metres Relay – M Heats]. [[IAAF]] (2005-08-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref>

He broke into the senior ranks in 2006, and was selected for the 4 × 400&nbsp; m relay team for the [[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships]]. Along with [[Tyree Washington]], [[Milton Campbell]] and [[Wallace Spearmon]], he won the World Indoor title in the event. Outdoors, he improved his best to 44.14&nbsp; seconds for a [[bronze medal]] at the [[2006 IAAF World Athletics Final]] and was selected to represent the United States at the [[2006 IAAF World Cup]], at which he won the 400&nbsp; m competition.

Prior to the 400&nbsp; m final at the [[2007 World Championships in Athletics]] in [[Osaka]], Merritt stated his intent to beat all-comers. He achieved his first sub-44&nbsp; second run, finishing in 43.96, and beat 2000 Olympic champion [[Angelo Taylor]] to the line. However, this was not enough to beat the reigning World and Olympic champion Jeremy Wariner, who was half a second ahead. Nevertheless, the [[silver medal]] was Merritt's first at a global championships over the 400&nbsp; m.<ref>[http://osaka2007.iaaf. org/news/kind=4/newsid=41236.html#event+report+mens+400m+final Event report: Men’s 400m Final]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[IAAF]] (2007-08-31). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> He again formed part of the United States' 4 × 400 meter relay team and, with fellow individual medallists Wariner and Taylor among the team, the American's eased to victory some three and a half seconds ahead of the [[Bahamas|Bahamians]].<ref>[http://osaka2007.iaaf. org/news/kind=4/newsid=41474.html#event+report+mens+4x400m+relay+final Event report: men's 4x400m Relay Final]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}. [[IAAF]] (2007-09-02). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> With Wariner absent from the field, Merritt won the [[gold medal]] at the [[2007 IAAF World Athletics Final]].

===Olympic champion and Wariner duels===
Merritt's 2008 season was marked by an intense rivalry with Wariner, who had won the 400&nbsp; m at every major global championship since 2004. The [[2008 IAAF Golden League]] provided the venue for many of their duels.<ref name=2008VS>Wenig, Jörg (2008-09-13). [http://www.iaaf.org/WAF08/news/kind=103/newsid=47680.html Merritt vs. Wariner 2008 – final score: Merritt 4, Wariner 3]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> He scored his first major win over Wariner in a close affair at the [[Internationales Stadionfest]] in [[Berlin]].<ref>Turner, Chris (2008-06-01). [http://www.iaaf.org/GLE08/news/newsid=45132.html Wariner and Jepkosgei’s Jackpot hopes foiled; Upsets all the way in Berlin – ÅF Golden League]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> He confirmed his Olympic place a month later by winning at the 2008 [[United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|United States Olympic Trials]], again defeating the reigning Olympic champion Wariner.<ref>Dunaway, James (2008-07-04). [http://www.iaaf.org/news/newsid=45664.html Merritt upsets Wariner, Richards cruises as action resumes in Eugene – US Olympic Trials, day 5]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> Later in July at the [[Golden Gala]] meeting, Wariner responded by edging a win in the 400&nbsp; m by just 0.01&nbsp; seconds.<ref>Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-12). [http://www.iaaf.org/GLE08/news/newsid=46023.html By mere inches, Wariner takes round three – ÅF Golden League]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> At the [[Meeting Gaz de France]] in [[Paris]], the last Golden League competition before the Olympics, Wariner seemed to have the momentum behind him after a win in 43.86&nbsp; seconds.<ref>Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-18). [http://www.iaaf.org/GLE08/news/newsid=46235.html Wariner: ‘I wanted to come out here and make a statement today’ – ÅF Golden League, Paris]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref>

[[File:Merrittfinish400.jpg|thumb|left|Merritt winning 2008 Olympic gold, a second ahead of Jeremy Wariner]]

Merritt won the 400 m at the [[2008 Summer Olympics]] in Beijing. A close race between Merritt and Wariner was expected,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Forde |first=Pat |title=Hold on to your medals ... The Dash is checking in from Beijing |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer08/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3523021 |publisher=[[ESPN]] |date=2008-08-08 |access-date=2008-08-08}}</ref> though it ultimately ended in a rout. The 0.99-second margin between Merritt's first-place finish and Wariner's second-place finish was the largest in an Olympic 400&nbsp; m final.<ref>{{cite news |last=Hersh |first=Philip |title=In the men's 400 meters, LaShawn Merritt's a fast learner |url=https://www.latimes.com/sports/olympics/la-sp-olymentrack22-2008aug22,0,7811586.story |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |date=2008-08-21 |access-date=2008-08-21}}</ref> His time of 43.75, a new personal best, made him the fifth fastest 400&nbsp; m runner on the all-time lists, still two places behind Wariner, who is third on the all-time list of fastest runners.<ref name=400mTop>[http://www.iaaf.org/statistics/toplists/inout=O/age=N/season=0/sex=M/all=y/legal=A/disc=400/detail.htmx 400 Metres All Time]. [[IAAF]] (2009-10-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> He teamed up with Wariner, Angelo Taylor and 400&nbsp; m bronze medallist [[David Neville (athlete)|David Neville]] for the [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|men's 4 × 400 m relay]]. The team defeated the [[List of Olympic records in athletics|Olympic record]] mark which had stood since the [[1992 Barcelona Olympics]] by running a time of 2:55.39, the second fastest in the history of the event.<ref>Ramsak, Bob (2008-08-23). [http://www.iaaf.org/OLY08/news/kind=108/newsid=47301.html Men's 4x400m Relay – FINAL]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref>

Weeks after the Olympics, he lost to Wariner by a large margin at the [[Weltklasse Zürich]], although Wariner's winning time of 43.82&nbsp; seconds was still slower than Merritt's Olympic winning run.<ref>Turner, Chris (2008-08-29). [http://www.iaaf.org/GLE08/news/newsid=47424.html Jelimo {{sic|hide=y|hones in on}} historic mark; Bolt electrifies in Zürich – ÅF Golden League]. [[IAAF]]. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.</ref> Merritt secured his fourth win over Wariner that season at the [[2008 IAAF World Athletics Final]]. Although the two had both beaten each other that season, Merritt had won all the most important races, ending the season as the Olympic and American champion over 400&nbsp; m as well as taking home the World Athletics Final payday. He opted to miss out on the 2009 indoor season to focus on improving his running and technique.<ref name=2008VS/>

===2009 World Champion and doping ban===
[[File:400 m Final Berlin 2009.JPG|thumb|Merritt en route to becoming 400&nbsp; m world champion in 2009]]
With Wariner already qualified for the World Championships as the defending champion, Merritt won the 400&nbsp; m at the [[2009 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships|2009 US Championships]] somewhat uncontested, equalling his own world leading time of 44.50&nbsp; seconds. At the [[2009 World Championships in Athletics]], in [[Berlin]], he went on to win the 400&nbsp; m in a world-leading time of 44.06 seconds, once again beating Wariner.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://berlin.iaaf.org/results/bydiscipline/disctype=4/sex=M/discCode=400/combCode=hash/roundCode=f/results.html |title=400 Metres – M Final |date=August 21, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090824114301/http://berlin.iaaf.org/results/bydiscipline/disctype=4/sex=M/discCode=400/combCode=hash/roundCode=f/results.html |archive-date=2009-08-24 |url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Grohmann |first=Karolos |title=Merritt crushes Wariner again for 400m title |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/sportsNews/idUSTRE57K51Q20090821 |publisher=[[Reuters]] |date=2009-08-21 |access-date=2008-08-22}}</ref>

In October 2010, Merritt was issued with 21-month competition ban backdated to October 2009 after testing positive three times for [[Dehydroepiandrosterone|DHEA]] and [[pregnenolone]].<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/athletics/8638727.stm |title=400m star LaShawn Merritt fails drug test |work=BBC Sport |date=22 April 2010 |access-date=27 April 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.co.uk/olympics/trackandfield/news/story?id=5699591 |title=Gold-medalist LaShawn Merritt banned |work=ESPN |date=18 October 2010 |access-date=12 October 2020}}</ref> The American Arbitration Association's ruling accepted Merritt had unintentionally consumed the banned substances contained within a male enhancement product called [[ExtenZe]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2010/oct/18/lashawn-merritt-drugs-ban |title=LaShawn Merritt banned for 21 months for failing three drug tests |work=The Guardian |date=18 October 2010 |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2011/10/06/sport/olympics-doping-ban/index.html |title= Top court throws out Olympics doping ban |work=CNN |date=27 July 2012 |first1=Melissa |last1=Gray |first2=Richard |last2=Allen Greene |access-date=12 October 2024}}</ref>

===2011: Return to the track===
After serving his competition ban, Merritt finished second at the Stockholm meeting of the Diamond League<ref>[http://en.omriyadat.com/videos/lashawn-merritt-iaaf-diamond-league LaShawn Merritt 44.64 Men's 400m | Zurich Diamond League] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160918153227/http://en.omriyadat.com/videos/lashawn-merritt-iaaf-diamond-league |date=2016-09-18 }}. Retrieved on 2016-09-10.</ref> series with a time of 44.74. He received a berth to the 2011 World Championships in Daegu, South Korea due to him being the 2009 World Champion for the 400 meters. At the 2011 World Championships, he set a world leading time of 44.35. He eventually won the silver medal behind teenager [[Kirani James]] of Grenada, having led most of the race, but went on to run the final leg of the United States' gold medal-winning 4 × 400 m relay team having been in third place coming out of the final bend.

===2012===
Merritt was the number one qualifier at the [[2012 United States Olympic Trials (track and field)|2012 Olympic Trials]]. Two weeks before the [[track and field]] events at the [[2012 Summer Olympics]], Merritt tweaked his hamstring in the [[Herculis]] meet in [[Monaco]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/olympics/summer/2012/trackandfield/story/_/id/8185055/2012-summer-olympics-lashawn-merritt-pulls-400m-herculis-hamstring-twinge |title=LaShawn Merritt pulls up in 400m at Herculis after hamstring twinge |work=ESPN.com |date=July 20, 2012}}</ref> As a result of this injury he pulled up in a qualifying heat of the 400 m at the London Olympics and did not finish.<ref>{{cite news |work=Yahoo! Sports |url=https://sports.yahoo.com/news/olympics--hamstring-injury-ends-american-lashawn-merritt-s-bid-to-defend-olympic-title-in-men-s-400-meters.html |title=Hamstring injury ends American LaShawn Merritt's bid to defend Olympic title in men's 400 meters |date=August 4, 2012}}</ref>

===2016===
Merritt qualified once again onto the US team for the 400 meters at the [[2016 Summer Olympics]] in [[Rio de Janeiro]]. He ran a very quick time of 43.85 but only managed to win the bronze medal behind defending Olympic champion, [[Kirani James]] of [[Grenada]], who won the silver medal with a time of 43.76, and [[Wayde van Niekerk]] of [[South Africa]], who won the gold medal with a new world record time of 43.03.

===2017===
Merritt announced his retirement following the [[2017 World Championships in Athletics]].

==Personal bests==
{| class=wikitable
|-
!Event
!Time ([[second|sec]])
!Venue
!Date
|-
| [[100 metres]] || 10.56 || [[Lynchburg, Virginia]], United States || March 31, 2007
|-
| [[200 metres]] || 19.74 || [[Eugene, Oregon]], United States || July 8, 2016
|-
| [[300 metres]] || 31.23 || [[Kingston, Jamaica]], Jamaica || June 11, 2016
|-
| [[400 metres]] || 43.65 || [[2015 World Championships in Athletics|Beijing]], China || August 26, 2015
|-
!colspan=4|Indoor events
|-
| [[60 metres]] || 6.68 || [[Lynchburg, Virginia]], United States || February 18, 2006
|-
| [[200 metres]] || 20.40 || [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], United States || February 12, 2005
|-
| [[300 metres]] || 31.94 || [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], United States || February 10, 2006
|-
| [[400 metres]] || 44.93 || [[Fayetteville, Arkansas]], United States || February 11, 2005
|-
| [[500 metres]] || 1:01.39 || [[New York City, New York]], United States || February 10, 2012
|}

* <small>All information taken from IAAF profile.</small>

Merritt is one of only six men in history to have broken 20 seconds for the 200 metres and 44 seconds for the 400 metres, the other men being [[Michael Johnson (athlete)|Michael Johnson]], [[Isaac Makwala]], Wayde Van Niekerk, [[Michael Norman (athlete)|Michael Norman]], and [[Fred Kerley]].

His personal best of 43.65 seconds for the 400 metres, set in Beijing on 26 August 2015, was the fastest non-winning time in history until the 2024 Olympic final where [[Matthew Hudson-Smith]] lowered this record to 43.44 seconds.

==Achievements==
{| {{AchievementTable|Event=yes|Result=yes|NotesOff=yes}}
|-
| rowspan=3|2004
| rowspan=3|[[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics|World Junior Championships]]
| rowspan=3|[[Grosseto]], Italy
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| 45.25
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 100 metres relay|4 × 100 m relay]]
| 38.66 [[List of world junior records in athletics|WJR]]
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
| 3:01.09 [[List of world junior records in athletics|WJR]]
|-
| 2005
| [[2005 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| [[Helsinki]], Finland
| bgcolor=gold| 1st
| [[2005 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
| 3:00.48 (heats)
|-
| rowspan=4|2006
| [[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships|World Indoor Championships]]
| [[Moscow]], Russia
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2006 IAAF World Indoor Championships – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|3:03.24
|-
| [[2006 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
| [[Stuttgart]], Germany
| bgcolor="cc9966"| 3rd
| 400 m
|44.14
|-
| rowspan=2|[[2006 IAAF World Cup|World Cup]]
| rowspan=2|[[Athens]], Greece
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| 400 m
|44.54
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| 4 × 400 m relay
|3:00.11
|-
| rowspan=3|2007
| rowspan=2|[[2007 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| rowspan=2|[[Osaka]], Japan
| bgcolor="silver"| 2nd
| [[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| 43.96 PB
|-
| bgcolor=gold| 1st
| [[2007 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:55.56
|-
| [[2007 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
| [[Stuttgart]], Germany
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| 400 m
|44.58
|-
| rowspan=2|2008
| rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
| rowspan=2|[[Beijing]], China
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| 43.75 PB
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[Athletics at the 2008 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:55.39
|-
| rowspan=3|2009
| rowspan=2|[[2009 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| rowspan=2|[[Berlin]], Germany
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| 44.06
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2009 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:57.86
|-
| [[2009 IAAF World Athletics Final|World Athletics Final]]
| [[Thessaloniki]], Greece
| bgcolor=gold| 1st
| [[2009 IAAF World Athletics Final results|400 m]]
|44.93
|-
| rowspan=2|2011
| rowspan=2|[[2011 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| rowspan=2|[[Daegu]], South Korea
| bgcolor="silver"| 2nd
| [[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| 44.63
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2011 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:59.31
|-
|2012
|[[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|[[London]], United Kingdom
| —
| [[Athletics at the 2012 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
|DNF
|-
| rowspan=2| 2013
| rowspan=2| [[2013 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
| rowspan=2| [[Moscow]], Russia
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
| bgcolor=gold|43.74 PB<br>{{small|TRACK RECORD}}
|-
| bgcolor="gold"| 1st
| [[2013 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
| 2:58.71
|-
|2014
|[[2014 IAAF World Relays|IAAF World Relays]]
|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], Bahamas
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
||[[2014 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:57.25
|-
|rowspan=3|2015
|[[2015 IAAF World Relays|IAAF World Relays]]
|[[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]], Bahamas
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|[[2015 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:58.43
|-
|rowspan=2|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|rowspan=2|[[Beijing, China]]
|bgcolor="silver"| 2nd
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
|43.65 PB
|-
|bgcolor="gold"| 1st
|[[2015 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:57.82
|-
|rowspan=2|2016
|rowspan=2|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics|Olympic Games]]
|rowspan=2|[[Rio de Janeiro]], [[Brazil]]
|bgcolor=cc9966|3rd
|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 400 metres|400 m]]
|43.85
|-
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[Athletics at the 2016 Summer Olympics – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|2:57.30
|-
|rowspan=2|2017
|[[2017 IAAF World Relays|IAAF World Relays]]
|[[Nassau, Bahamas]]
|bgcolor=gold|1st
|[[2017 IAAF World Relays – Men's 4 × 400 metres relay|4 × 400 m relay]]
|3:02.13
|-
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics|World Championships]]
|[[London, United Kingdom]]
|20th (sf)
|400 m
|[[2017 World Championships in Athletics – Men's 400 metres|45.52]]
|}

===Track records===
As of September 2024, Merritt holds the following track records for 200 metres and 400 metres.

====200 metres====
{| class="wikitable" style= "text-align: center"
|-
!Location
!Time
!Windspeed<br>m/s
!Date
|-
| [[Greensboro, North Carolina]] || 19.80 || +3.2 || 19/04/2008
|-
| [[Nassau, Bahamas|Nassau]] || 19.78 || +0.9 || 16/04/2016
|}

====400 metres====
{| class="wikitable" style= "text-align: center"
|-
!Location
!Time
!Date
|-
| [[Daegu]] || 44.35 || 28/08/2011
|-
| [[Edmonton]] || 44.30 || 06/07/2014
|-
| [[Moscow]] || 43.74 || 13/08/2013
|-
| [[New York City]] || 44.19 || 14/06/2014
|-
| [[Ostrava]] || 44.16 || 17/06/2014
|-
| [[Ponce, Puerto Rico]] || 44.14 || 17/05/2014
|-
| [[Raleigh, North Carolina]] || 44.72 || 28/03/2008
|}

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

==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website|http://www.lashawnmerrittusa.com}}
* {{World Athletics}}
* {{USATF|LaShawn-Merritt}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|aw}}
{{S-bef|before=[[Jason Richardson (hurdler)|Jason Richardson]]}}
{{S-ttl|title=[[USA Track & Field]] Youth Athlete of the Year |years=2004 }}
{{s-aft|after=[[Ebony Collins]] }}
{{s-end}}

{{Footer Olympic Champions 400 m Men}}
{{Footer Olympic Champions 4x400 m Men}}
{{Footer World Champions 400 m Men}}
{{Footer World Champions 4 x 400 m Men|2007|2009|2011|2013|2015}}
{{Footer World Indoor Champions 4x400m Relay Men}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 400m Men}}
{{Footer IAAF World Cup Champions 4x400 m Men}}
{{Footer Junior World Champions 400 m Men}}
{{Footer World Athletics U20 Champions men's 4x400 metres}}
{{Footer US NC 400m Men}}
{{Footer IAAF Diamond League 400 Metres Champions Men}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2008 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2012 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer USA Track & Field 2016 Summer Olympics}}
{{Footer WBYP 400m Men}}
{{ESPNRISE 2000s All-Decade track team}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Merritt, Lashawn}}
[[Category:1986 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:African-American track and field athletes]]
[[Category:American male sprinters]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2012 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Athletes (track and field) at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:East Carolina Pirates men's track and field athletes]]
[[Category:Old Dominion University alumni]]
[[Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Portsmouth, Virginia]]
[[Category:Track and field athletes from Virginia]]
[[Category:Woodrow Wilson High School (Portsmouth, Virginia) alumni]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships medalists]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2008 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships athletes for the United States]]
[[Category:Olympic bronze medalists for the United States in track and field]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 2016 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Diamond League winners]]
[[Category:USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Indoor Championships winners]]
[[Category:IAAF Continental Cup winners]]
[[Category:World Athletics Championships winners]]
[[Category:IAAF World Athletics Final winners]]
[[Category:21st-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American sportsmen]]
[[Category:21st-century American sportsmen]]