TRACK SHARK ARTICLE - MERRITT CRIES FOUL, KIND OF
After his narrow defeat to Jeremy Wariner last weekend in Rome, U.S. 400m champion LaShawn Merritt shared some of his frustrations about how things apparently work off the track.
"I had no say in this race," he said. "This race was set up." He refused to elaborate. He echoed those frustrations again after his defeat to Wariner last night here in Paris, but again didn't expand upon what exactly got him so miffed.
"Before this meet things were stated, saying how things were going to be. When I got here they changed. Why they changed, I don't know."
After his comments in Rome, the speculation was that Merritt wasn't happy with his lane assignment. In Berlin last month, where he edged Wariner in a virtual slugfest over the final 40 meters, Merritt said he was given the option to choose his lane after Wariner selected his. There, Wariner was in four, Merritt in three. In both Rome and Paris, it was Wariner in four, and Merritt to his outside in five. But Merritt said his beef isn't with the lane he ultimately runs in.
"The lane is not the issue," he said. "But when you promise me something, don't change it when I get here. Things changed that I didn't agree with, that my parents didn't agree with, that my coach and agent didn't agree with. But I told them I'd run. It's a race I needed before Beijing."
His wasn't speaking with a voice looking for excuses-- "I'm not the kind of person who makes excuses," he said --but more so with one of resignation.
"The sport is political. I was mistreated. I feel I didn't get the respect I deserved. But I'm not going to cry about it."
Again prodded for more specifics, Merritt decided against it, keeping his comments to a more general nature.
"The sport needs help," he said. "A lot of things go on in this sport that people don't know about. The sport is messed up a little bit. At the end of the day it's a business. My mom always told me to come out, race and have fun. Over all I feel good. Come Bejing, I'm going to do what I need to do to get the gold." fin
I Love the "I'm not going to cry about it" attitude. No, he's just going to bitch and moan about it like a half a sissy ****ot. Well Lashawn, I'm really sorry the Man has been holding you down. I really hope JW crushes this kid at the Olympics.