2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: 400 Meter Champion Jeremy Wariner Excited to Get Closer to First Round

One month after losing to fellow American LaShawn Merritt in the US Olympic trials in July, two-time Olympic and World Champion 400 meter runner Jeremy Wariner talks about Merritt, his mental preparations for the event and how he plans to defend the 400m gold medal he won in Athens.

Wariner explains that his goals are to break the world record, be the first one to run 42 seconds and to try and get the 4x400m world record.

Wariner proved his 400 meters dominance in 2007, winning the gold medal at the World Outdoor Championships in Osaka, Japan, with a personal best time of 43.45 seconds, which is the third fastest time in history.

Jeremy Wariner has held the Men's 400 Meters top ranking in the world four straight years.

Jeremy Wariner Interview

How is your fitness and state of mind?

So far I have had a great couple of days work out here in Beijing so fitness wise I’m great I’m ready to go ...

I’ll be more excited as the days go by and I get closer to my first round so I’m just looking forward to coming out here and running a better race than I have so far this year.

Has being beaten by LaShawn Merritt upset your state of mind?

It hasn’t affected it at all I know what I did wrong in those races I didn’t run my race the way I usually.

I got out fine but I back off a little bit down the back straight and let him get away rather than keep going the way I usually do so that it’s in my past I can use that my advantage if I lose I build on it I look at what I did wrong I new what I did wrong even before the race was over so.

I can tell what I have done wrong before I even talk to my coach.

Is it like being a boxer after you have won everything you don’t want it as much anymore?

You know that’s not the fact for me I have many goals set for myself that I want to achieve even though I have won an Olympic gold medal and two world championship medals and now I am here in Beijing to defend my title.

I have so many goals that I want to achieve where I am still striving for something more even though I have done a lot.

I still want the world record I still want to be the first one to run 42 seconds and I want to try and get the 4x400 world record while I’m at it, so I have a lot of stuff in front of me that I want to do.

Does having LaShawn chasing you upset your usual focus?

Definitely not at all having someone like LaShawn behind me running times like I do helps me it makes me train harder in practice it motivates me more to make sure I do what I need to do to get better so when I get on the track I am going to have to run faster than I did the year before because I know he is capable of running that fast so I am going to have to run even faster.

Can you break Michael Johnson’s world 400m record?

I believe I can do it I believe in my heart I can they way I have been training I know I can I am ready for it is just a matter of putting every together at the right time and running exactly how I need to, competitors be there and just go for it and not worry about anything else so at the Olympics I know it is going to be difficult because I want to win and defend my title but at the same time I want to break the world record.

You already have an Olympic Gold medal can you have the same desire here in Beijing?

I want to defend my title. Michael (Johnson) is the only one to have ever defended his title in the 400 meters he has two gold medals so I am trying to do the same thing and then hopefully in 2012.

I’ll be fortunate enough to defend another one, to make it a third one if I win here.

So that’s what is driving me to make sure I get my title back.

About Jeremy Wariner

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Summer Olympics - 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics: 400 Meter Champion Jeremy Wariner Excited to Get Closer to First Round

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