LaShawn Merritt

LaShawn Merritt
	Merritt at the 2012 Tribeca Film Festival.
Personal information
Born	June 27, 1986 (age 38); Portsmouth, Virginia, U.S.
Height	6 ft 2 in (188 cm)
Weight	185 lb (84 kg)
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event	400 metres
College team	East Carolina Pirates
Coached by	Dennis Mitchell
Medal record
Men's athletics
Representing the United States
Olympic Games
World Championships
World Indoor Championships
World Relay Championships
World Junior Championships
Representing Americas
Continental Cup

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 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 m gold at the 2004 World Junior Championships in Athletics, as well as setting two 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 m at the 2007 World Championships.

He came out on top of a rivalry with Jeremy Wariner in 2008 by winning in the 2008 Olympic final in a personal best time, and by a record margin of 0.99 secs. He also broke the 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 m and the 4×400 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. He spent one year as a college athlete at East Carolina University, signing an endorsement contract with 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.^[2]^[3]

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 junior world records as part of the American 4×100 and 4×400 meter relay teams.^[4] 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 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.^[5]

He broke into the senior ranks in 2006, and was selected for the 4×400 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 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 m competition.

Prior to the 400 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 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 m.^[6] 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 Bahamians.^[7] 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 m at every major global championship since 2004. The 2008 IAAF Golden League provided the venue for many of their duels.^[8] He scored his first major win over Wariner in a close affair at the Internationales Stadionfest in Berlin.^[9] He confirmed his Olympic place a month later by winning at the 2008 United States Olympic Trials, again defeating the reigning Olympic champion Wariner.^[10] Later in July at the Golden Gala meeting, Wariner responded by edging a win in the 400 m by just 0.01 seconds.^[11] 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 seconds.^[12]

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,^[13] 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 m final.^[14] His time of 43.75, a new personal best, made him the fifth fastest 400 m runner on the all-time lists, still two places behind Wariner, who is third on the all-time list of fastest runners.^[15] He teamed up with Wariner, Angelo Taylor and 400 m bronze medallist David Neville for the men's 4 × 400 m relay. The team defeated the 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.^[16]

Weeks after the Olympics, he lost to Wariner by a large margin at the Weltklasse Zürich, although Wariner's winning time of 43.82 seconds was still slower than Merritt's Olympic winning run.^[17] 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 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.^[8]

2009 World Champion and doping ban

With Wariner already qualified for the World Championships as the defending champion, Merritt won the 400 m at the 2009 US Championships somewhat uncontested, equalling his own world leading time of 44.50 seconds. At the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, in Berlin, he went on to win the 400 m in a world-leading time of 44.06 seconds, once again beating Wariner.^[18]^[19]

In October 2010, Merritt was issued with 21 month competition ban backdated to October 2009 after testing postive three times for DHEA and pregnenolone.^[20]^[21] The American Arbitration Association's ruling accepted Merritt had unintentionally consumed the banned substances contained within a male enhancement product called ExtenZe.^[22]^[23]

2011: Return to the track

After serving his competition ban, Merritt finished second at the Stockholm meeting of the Diamond League^[24] 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 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.^[25] As a result of this injury he pulled up in a qualifying heat of the 400m at the London Olympics and did not finish.^[26]

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

Event	Time (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	Beijing, China	August 26, 2015
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

All information taken from IAAF profile.

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, Isaac Makwala, Wayde Van Niekerk, 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

Year	Competition	Venue	Position	Event	Result
2004	World Junior Championships	Grosseto, Italy	1st	400 m	45.25
			1st	4 × 100 m relay	38.66 WJR
			1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:01.09 WJR
2005	World Championships	Helsinki, Finland	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:00.48 (heats)
2006	World Indoor Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:03.24
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	3rd	400 m	44.14
	World Cup	Athens, Greece	1st	400 m	44.54
	World Cup	Athens, Greece	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:00.11
2007	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	2nd	400 m	43.96 PB
	World Championships	Osaka, Japan	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:55.56
	World Athletics Final	Stuttgart, Germany	1st	400 m	44.58
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	400 m	43.75 PB
2008	Olympic Games	Beijing, China	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:55.39
2009	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	400 m	44.06
	World Championships	Berlin, Germany	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:57.86
	World Athletics Final	Thessaloniki, Greece	1st	400 m	44.93
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	2nd	400 m	44.63
2011	World Championships	Daegu, South Korea	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:59.31
2012	Olympic Games	London, United Kingdom	—	400 m	DNF
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	400 m	43.74 PB TRACK RECORD
2013	World Championships	Moscow, Russia	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:58.71
2014	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:57.25
2015	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:58.43
	World Championships	Beijing, China	2nd	400 m	43.65 PB
	World Championships	Beijing, China	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:57.82
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	3rd	400 m	43.85
2016	Olympic Games	Rio de Janeiro, Brazil	1st	4 × 400 m relay	2:57.30
2017	IAAF World Relays	Nassau, Bahamas	1st	4 × 400 m relay	3:02.13
2017	World Championships	London, United Kingdom	20th (sf)	400 m	45.52

Track records

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

200 metres

Location	Time	Windspeed m/s	Date
Greensboro, North Carolina	19.80	+ 3.2	19/04/2008
Nassau	19.78	+ 0.9	16/04/2016

400 metres

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

^ Nick Zaccardi (May 7, 2020). "Where did LaShawn Merritt go?". NBC Sports.
^ LaShawn Merritt. USATF. Retrieved on 2010-06-27.
^ "Portsmouth native LaShawn Merritt to compete in track and field for U.S." 31 July 2016.
^ Grosseto – Three World Junior records set in the space of 90 minutes. IAAF (2004-07-18). Retrieved on 2009-06-02.
^ html#detM_4X4_hash_h 4x400 Metres Relay – M Heats. IAAF (2005-08-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ org/news/kind=4/newsid=41236.html#event+report+mens+400m+final Event report: Men’s 400m Final^{[permanent dead link]}. IAAF (2007-08-31). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ org/news/kind=4/newsid=41474.html#event+report+mens+4x400m+relay+final Event report: men's 4x400m Relay Final^{[permanent dead link]}. IAAF (2007-09-02). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ ^a ^b Wenig, Jörg (2008-09-13). Merritt vs. Wariner 2008 – final score: Merritt 4, Wariner 3. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Turner, Chris (2008-06-01). Wariner and Jepkosgei’s Jackpot hopes foiled; Upsets all the way in Berlin – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Dunaway, James (2008-07-04). Merritt upsets Wariner, Richards cruises as action resumes in Eugene – US Olympic Trials, day 5. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-12). By mere inches, Wariner takes round three – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-18). Wariner: ‘I wanted to come out here and make a statement today’ – ÅF Golden League, Paris. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Forde, Pat (2008-08-08). "Hold on to your medals ... The Dash is checking in from Beijing". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-08-08.
^ Hersh, Philip (2008-08-21). "In the men's 400 meters, LaShawn Merritt's a fast learner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-21.
^ 400 Metres All Time. IAAF (2009-10-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Ramsak, Bob (2008-08-23). Men's 4x400m Relay – FINAL. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ Turner, Chris (2008-08-29). Jelimo hones in on historic mark; Bolt electrifies in Zürich – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.
^ "400 Metres – M Final". August 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-24.
^ Grohmann, Karolos (2009-08-21). "Merritt crushes Wariner again for 400m title". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-08-22.
^ "400m star LaShawn Merritt fails drug test". BBC Sport. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.
^ "Gold-medalist LaShawn Merritt banned". ESPN. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
^ "LaShawn Merritt banned for 21 months for failing three drug tests". The Guardian. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
^ Gray, Melissa; Allen Greene, Richard (27 July 2012). "Top court throws out Olympics doping ban". CNN. Retrieved 12 October 2024.
^ LaShawn Merritt 44.64 Men's 400m | Zurich Diamond League Archived 2016-09-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2016-09-10.
^ "LaShawn Merritt pulls up in 400m at Herculis after hamstring twinge". ESPN.com. July 20, 2012.
^ "Hamstring injury ends American LaShawn Merritt's bid to defend Olympic title in men's 400 meters". Yahoo! Sports. August 4, 2012.

External links

Official website
LaShawn Merritt at World Athletics
LaShawn Merritt at legacy.USATF.org (archived)

Awards
Preceded by Jason Richardson	USA Track & Field Youth Athlete of the Year 2004	Succeeded by Ebony Collins

[1] Nick Zaccardi (May 7, 2020). "Where did LaShawn Merritt go?". NBC Sports.

[2] LaShawn Merritt. USATF. Retrieved on 2010-06-27.

[3] "Portsmouth native LaShawn Merritt to compete in track and field for U.S." 31 July 2016.

[4] Grosseto – Three World Junior records set in the space of 90 minutes. IAAF (2004-07-18). Retrieved on 2009-06-02.

[5] tml#detM_4X4_hash_h 4x400 Metres Relay – M Heats. IAAF (2005-08-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[6] rg/news/kind=4/newsid=41236.html#event+report+mens+400m+final Event report: Men’s 400m Final^{[permanent dead link]}. IAAF (2007-08-31). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[7] rg/news/kind=4/newsid=41474.html#event+report+mens+4x400m+relay+final Event report: men's 4x400m Relay Final^{[permanent dead link]}. IAAF (2007-09-02). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[2008VS-8] Wenig, Jörg (2008-09-13). Merritt vs. Wariner 2008 – final score: Merritt 4, Wariner 3. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[9] Turner, Chris (2008-06-01). Wariner and Jepkosgei’s Jackpot hopes foiled; Upsets all the way in Berlin – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[10] Dunaway, James (2008-07-04). Merritt upsets Wariner, Richards cruises as action resumes in Eugene – US Olympic Trials, day 5. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[11] Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-12). By mere inches, Wariner takes round three – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[12] Ramsak, Bob (2008-07-18). Wariner: ‘I wanted to come out here and make a statement today’ – ÅF Golden League, Paris. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[13] Forde, Pat (2008-08-08). "Hold on to your medals ... The Dash is checking in from Beijing". ESPN. Retrieved 2008-08-08.

[14] Hersh, Philip (2008-08-21). "In the men's 400 meters, LaShawn Merritt's a fast learner". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2008-08-21.

[400mTop-15] 400 Metres All Time. IAAF (2009-10-13). Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[16] Ramsak, Bob (2008-08-23). Men's 4x400m Relay – FINAL. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[17] Turner, Chris (2008-08-29). Jelimo hones in on historic mark; Bolt electrifies in Zürich – ÅF Golden League. IAAF. Retrieved on 2010-04-27.

[18] "400 Metres – M Final". August 21, 2009. Archived from the original on 2009-08-24.

[19] Grohmann, Karolos (2009-08-21). "Merritt crushes Wariner again for 400m title". Reuters. Retrieved 2008-08-22.

[20] "400m star LaShawn Merritt fails drug test". BBC Sport. 22 April 2010. Retrieved 27 April 2010.

[21] "Gold-medalist LaShawn Merritt banned". ESPN. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2020.

[22] "LaShawn Merritt banned for 21 months for failing three drug tests". The Guardian. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 12 October 2024.

[23] Gray, Melissa; Allen Greene, Richard (27 July 2012). "Top court throws out Olympics doping ban". CNN. Retrieved 12 October 2024.

[24] LaShawn Merritt 44.64 Men's 400m | Zurich Diamond League Archived 2016-09-18 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on 2016-09-10.

[25] "LaShawn Merritt pulls up in 400m at Herculis after hamstring twinge". ESPN.com. July 20, 2012.

[26] "Hamstring injury ends American LaShawn Merritt's bid to defend Olympic title in men's 400 meters". Yahoo! Sports. August 4, 2012.

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v t e US National Championship winners in men's 400-meter dash
1876-1979 Amateur Athletic Union	1876-77: Edward Merritt 1878: Frank Brown 1879-84: Lon Myers 1885: H. Mason Raborg 1886: John Robertson 1887: Harvey Banks 1888: Walter Dohm 1888: T.J. Mahoney 1889: Walter Dohm 1890-92: William Downs 1893: Edward Allen 1894: Tom Keane 1895-97: Thomas Burke 1898-1900: Maxie Long 1901: Howard Hayes 1902: Fay Moulton 1903: Harry Hillman 1904: D.H. Meyer 1905-06: Frank Waller 1907: John Taylor 1908: Harry Hillman 1909: Edward Lindberg 1910: William Hayes 1911: Edward Lindberg 1912: Thomas Halpin 1913: Carroll Haff 1914-15: Ted Meredith 1916: Thomas Halpin 1917: Frank Shea 1918: Cornelius Shaughnessy 1919-20: Frank Shea 1921: William Stevenson 1922: James Driscoll 1923: Horatio Fitch 1924: James Burgess 1925: Cecil Cooke 1926: Ken Kennedy 1927: Hermon Phillips 1928: Ray Barbuti 1929: Reggie Bowen 1930-31: Vic Williams 1932: Bill Carr 1933-34: Ivan Fuqua 1935: Eddie O'Brien 1936: Harold Smallwood 1937-38: Ray Malott 1939: Erwin Miller 1940-41: Grover Klemmer 1942-43: Cliff Bourland 1944: Elmore Harris 1945: Herb McKenley (JAM) * James Herbert 1946: Elmore Harris 1947: Herb McKenley (JAM) * Dave Bolen 1948: Herb McKenley (JAM) * Mal Whitfield 1949: George Rhoden (JAM) * Hugh Maiocco (3) 1950: George Rhoden (JAM) * Tom Cox (3) 1951: George Rhoden (JAM) * Dick Maiocco (3) 1952: Mal Whitfield 1953: Jesse Mashburn 1954: Jim Lea 1955: Charles Jenkins 1956: Tom Courtney 1957: Reggie Pearman 1958-59: Eddie Southern 1960-61: Otis Davis 1962-63: Ulis Williams 1964: Mike Larrabee 1965: Ollan Cassell 1966-69: Lee Evans 1970-71: John Smith 1972: Lee Evans 1973-74: Maurice Peoples 1975: Dave Jenkins (GBR) * Fred Newhouse 1976: Maxie Parks 1977: Robert Taylor 1978: Maxie Parks 1979: Willie Smith
1980-1992 The Athletics Congress	1980: Willie Smith 1981-82: Cliff Wiley 1983: Sunder Nix 1984-85: Mark Rowe 1986: Darrell Robinson 1987: Butch Reynolds 1988: Tim Simon 1989: Antonio Pettigrew 1990: Steve Lewis 1991: Antonio Pettigrew 1992^OT: Danny Everett
1992 onwards USA Track & Field	1993: Michael Johnson 1994: Antonio Pettigrew 1995-96^OT: Michael Johnson 1997: Antonio Pettigrew 1998-99: Jerome Young 2000^OT: Michael Johnson 2001: Derrick Brew 2002: Angelo Taylor 2003: Tyree Washington 2004^OT-05: Jeremy Wariner 2006: Andrew Rock 2007: Angelo Taylor 2008^OT-09: LaShawn Merritt 2010: Greg Nixon 2011: Tony McQuay 2012^OT-13: LaShawn Merritt 2014: Gil Roberts 2015: David Verburg 2016^OT: LaShawn Merritt 2017: Fred Kerley 2018: Kahmari Montgomery 2019: Fred Kerley 2021^{2020 OT}-22: Michael Norman 2023: Bryce Deadmon
Notes	Note 1: In 1888 both the NAAAA and the AAU held championships OT: The 1920, 1928, 1932, and since 1992, championships incorporated the Olympic Trials, otherwise held as a discrete event. 2020 OT: The 2020 Olympic Trials were delayed and held in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

v t e 2008 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	2008 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Abdi Abdirahman Kerron Clement Shawn Crawford Walter Dix Ian Dobson Philip Dunn Kevin Eastler Anthony Famiglietti Tyson Gay Ryan Hall Bershawn Jackson Bernard Lagat Lopez Lomong Leonel Manzano Rodney Martin (r) Joshua McAdams LaShawn Merritt Billy Nelson David Neville David Oliver Travis Padgett (r) Darvis Patton David Payne Dathan Ritzenhein Galen Rupp Brian Sell Christian Smith Wallace Spearmon Nick Symmonds Angelo Taylor Matt Tegenkamp Jorge Torres Terrence Trammell Jeremy Wariner Andrew Wheating Reggie Witherspoon (r)
Men's field athletes	Kenta Bell Christian Cantwell Bryan Clay Rafeeq Curry Breaux Greer Trey Hardee Jeff Hartwig Mike Hazle Reese Hoffa Brian Johnson Dusty Jonas A. G. Kruger Casey Malone Andra Manson Derek Miles Adam Nelson Tom Pappas Miguel Pate Trevell Quinley Michael Robertson Leigh Smith Brad Walker Ian Waltz Jesse Williams Aarik Wilson
Women's track and road athletes	Lindsey Anderson Jenny Barringer Amy Yoder Begley Damu Cherry Hazel Clark-Riley Erin Donohue Joanne Dow Torri Edwards Allyson Felix Shalane Flanagan Kara Goucher Dawn Harper Queen Harrison Natasha Hastings (r) Monique Henderson (r) Marshevet Hooker Lolo Jones Deena Kastor Muna Lee Mechelle Lewis (r) Magdalena Lewy-Boulet Jennifer Rhines Sanya Richards Tiffany Ross-Williams Shannon Rowbury Blake Russell Alice Schmidt Nicole Teter Sheena Tosta DeeDee Trotter Anna Willard Angela Williams (r) Lauryn Williams Mary Wineberg Christin Wurth-Thomas
Women's field athletes	Amy Acuff Erica Bartolina April Steiner Bennett Jillian Camarena Amber Campbell Michelle Carter Jessica Cosby Sharon Day Hyleas Fountain Kristin Heaston Chaunté Howard Funmi Jimoh Jackie Johnson Kim Kreiner Shani Marks Erica McLain Kara Patterson Diana Pickler Suzy Powell-Roos Brittney Reese Loree Smith Jenn Stuczynski Aretha Thurmond Stephanie Brown Trafton Grace Upshaw
Coaches	Bubba Thornton (men's head coach) Harvey Glance (men's assistant coach) Ron Mann (men's assistant coach) Boo Schexnayder (men's assistant coach) Criss Somerlot (men's assistant coach) Joe Vigil (men's assistant coach) Jeanette Bolden (women's head coach) Chandra Cheeseborough (women's assistant coach) J.J. Clark (women's assistant coach) Kim Keenan-Kirkpatrick (women's assistant coach) Connie Price-Smith (women's assistant coach) Rita Somerlot (women's assistant coach) Brooks Johnson (relay coach) Orin Richburg (relay coach)

v t e 2012 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	2012 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Abdihakem Abdirahman Kyle Alcorn Ryan Bailey Trevor Barron Donn Cabral Matthew Centrowitz Jr. Kerron Clement Jeff Demps Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay Ryan Hall Evan Jager Meb Keflezighi Trell Kimmons (r) Bernard Lagat Lopez Lomong Joshua Mance (r) Leonel Manzano Tony McQuay Aries Merritt LaShawn Merritt Manteo Mitchell (r) Maurice Mitchell Bryshon Nellum John Nunn Darvis Patton (r) Jeff Porter Jason Richardson Dathan Ritzenhein Mike Rodgers (r) Khadevis Robinson Galen Rupp Duane Solomon Wallace Spearmon Nick Symmonds Matt Tegenkamp Angelo Taylor Michael Tinsley Jeremy Wariner Andrew Wheating Isiah Young
Men's field athletes	Lance Brooks Christian Cantwell Will Claye Ashton Eaton Sean Furey Marquise Goodwin Trey Hardee Reese Hoffa Cyrus Hostetler Kibwé Johnson Craig Kinsley George Kitchens A. G. Kruger Erik Kynard Derek Miles Jamie Nieto Jarred Rome Jeremy Scott Christian Taylor Brad Walker Ryan Whiting Jesse Williams Jason Young
Women's track and road athletes	Keshia Baker (r) T'erea Brown Janet Cherobon-Bawcom Emma Coburn Kim Conley Julie Culley Desiree Davila Lashinda Demus Diamond Dixon (r) Allyson Felix Shalane Flanagan Bridget Franek Geena Gall Kara Goucher Dawn Harper Amy Hastings Molly Huddle Carmelita Jeter Lolo Jones Shalaya Kipp Bianca Knight (r) Tianna Madison Francena McCorory Maria Michta Georganne Moline Alysia Montaño Sanya Richards-Ross Shannon Rowbury Alice Schmidt Jenny Simpson Jeneba Tarmoh (r) DeeDee Trotter Morgan Uceny Lisa Uhl Kellie Wells Lauryn Williams (r)
Women's field athletes	Amy Acuff Brigetta Barrett Amanda Bingson Brittany Borman Tia Brooks Jillian Camarena-Williams Amber Campbell Michelle Carter Jessica Cosby Sharon Day Janay DeLoach Hyleas Fountain Chelsea Hayes Becky Holliday Lacey Janson Gia Lewis-Smallwood Chaunté Lowe Chantae McMillan Kara Patterson Brittney Reese Amanda Smock Jennifer Suhr Aretha Thurmond Stephanie Brown Trafton Rachel Yurkovich
Coaches	Tonja Buford-Bailey (women's asst) Amy Deem (women's head coach) Edrick Floréal (men's asst) Jack Hazen (men's asst) Mike Holloway (men's asst) Rose Monday (women's asst) Connie Price-Smith (women's asst) Tom Pukstys (men's asst) Andrew Valmon (men's head coach) Gwen Wentland (women's asst)

v t e 2016 USA Olympic track and field team
Qualification	2016 United States Olympic trials (track and field)
Men's track and road athletes	Devon Allen Robby Andrews Ronnie Ash Boris Berian Ben Blankenship Hillary Bor Marvin Bracy Trayvon Bromell Donn Cabral Matthew Centrowitz Jr. Paul Chelimo Kerron Clement Kyle Clemons (r) Christian Coleman (r) Justin Gatlin Tyson Gay (r) Arman Hall (r) Evan Jager Charles Jock Meb Keflezighi Shadrack Kipchirchir Leonard Korir Bernard Lagat Tony McQuay (r) Hassan Mead LaShawn Merritt Clayton Murphy John Nunn Jeff Porter Gil Roberts Byron Robinson Mike Rodgers (r) Galen Rupp Michael Tinsley David Verburg Jared Ward Ameer Webb
Men's field athletes	Bradley Adkins Tavis Bailey Chris Benard Will Claye Ryan Crouser Sam Crouser Logan Cunningham Marquis Dendy Ashton Eaton Andrew Evans Mason Finley Sean Furey Michael Hartfield Jeff Henderson Darrell Hill Cyrus Hostetler Kibwé Johnson Sam Kendricks Joe Kovacs Erik Kynard Jarrion Lawson Conor McCullough Ricky Robertson Cale Simmons Jeremy Taiwo Christian Taylor Rudy Winkler Zach Ziemek
Women's track and road athletes	Morolake Akinosun (r) Nia Ali Tianna Bartoletta Tori Bowie Kristi Castlin Emma Coburn Kim Conley Amy Cragg Abbey Cooper Taylor Ellis-Watson (r) Allyson Felix Shalane Flanagan Phyllis Francis Courtney Frerichs English Gardner Kate Grace Marielle Hall Natasha Hastings Shelby Houlihan Molly Huddle Emily Infeld Desiree Linden Brenda Martinez Francena McCorory (r) Sydney McLaughlin Miranda Melville Maria Michta Dalilah Muhammad Courtney Okolo (r) Jenna Prandini Colleen Quigley Brianna Rollins Shannon Rowbury Jenny Simpson Ashley Spencer Deajah Stevens Ariana Washington (r) Chrishuna Williams Ajeé Wilson
Women's field athletes	Whitney Ashley Tianna Bartoletta Gwen Berry Brittany Borman Amber Campbell Kelsey Card Michelle Carter Vashti Cunningham Janay DeLoach Christina Epps Andrea Geubelle Felisha Johnson Chaunté Lowe Maggie Malone Inika McPherson Heather Miller-Koch Sandi Morris Barbara Nwaba Keturah Orji DeAnna Price Brittney Reese Raven Saunders Amanda Smock Jennifer Suhr Shelbi Vaughan Alexis Weeks Kendell Williams Kara Winger
Coaches	Bonnie Edmondson (women's assistant coach) Troy Engle (men's assistant coach) Curtis Frye (men's assistant coach) Robyne Johnson (women's assistant coach) Vin Lananna (men's head coach) Rose Monday (women's assistant coach) Connie Price-Smith (women's head coach) Cliff Rovelto (men's assistant coach) Mario Sategna (men's assistant coach) LaTanya Sheffield (women's assistant coach)