DES MOINES, IOWA ? Twenty-three year-old Jeremy Wariner, who was named the 2006 U.S. Athlete of the Year by Track and Field News while finishing second in voting for the 2006 World Athlete of the Year, will return to the Drake Relays to defend his title in the men's invitational 200-meter dash during the Saturday session.
Wariner stole the show at the 2004 Athens Olympics by winning two gold medals and then won two more golds at the 2005 World Outdoor Championships.
Wariner continued his world dominance of the men's 400 meters in 2006 in posting a new personal best and the world's fastest time of 43.62 seconds, bettering the 44-second barrier on three occasions, and posting the five-fastest times in the world that season.
He ranked No. 1 in the world in the 400 in 2006 for the third straight year. Wariner won 11 straight 400-meter races in 2006, climaxed by a personal best of 43.62 to win the Golden Gala Rome Grand Prix. He also ran a personal best of 20.19 to win the 2006 Home Depot meet in Carson, Calif.
Wariner ran a 44.74 anchor leg to lead the U.S. to a world indoor record of 3:01.96 in the 4x400 relay in the 2006 Tyson Invitational Feb. 10 in Fayetteville, Ark.
In 2005, Wariner was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 400 for the second straight year, becoming just the ninth quarter-miler to do so in the 59-year history of Track and Field News rankings.
He won eight 400-meter races, highlighted by capturing the U.S. and World Outdoor Championships, running a personal best of 43.93 in the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland. He also anchored the U.S. to the gold medal in the 4x400 relay at the World Championships in 2:56.91.
Wariner shocked the world with his gold medal winning performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. With his win in a then personal best time of 44.00 seconds, Wariner became the youngest gold medalist in the event since 19-year-old Steve Lewis won in 1988. It was the fastest time in the world since Michael Johnson in 2000. He also broke Johnson's Baylor school record.
With Wariner placing first, followed by fellow Americans Otis Harris and Derrick Brew in second and third place, respectively, the U.S. got its first sweep in the 400 since 1988, when Lewis, former world record holder Butch Reynolds and Danny Everett went 1-2-3.
Later, in Athens, he ran the third leg on Team USA's Olympic gold medal winning 4x400 relay squad. Wariner ran the then fastest time in the world in 2004 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Calif., by clocking 44.37 to claim the 400-meter title.
Despite having two years of eligibility left at Baylor, Wariner became a professional athlete after the Olympics and has fellow Clyde Hart prot?g? Michael Johnson as his agent.
Earlier in 2004, Wariner captured NCAA titles in both the indoor and outdoor 400 meters, setting stadium records at each championship. Wariner ran 44.71 at the outdoor championships in Austin, Texas, and 45.39 at the indoor championships in Fayetteville, Ark.
Wariner also led the Baylor 4x400-meter relay to a pair of national titles, setting an NCAA indoor record at 3:03.96 and clocking the fastest collegiate time in 2004 of 3:01.03 at the NCAA outdoor meet.
JEREMY WARINER
Event: 400m
Height: 6-0
Weight: 155
PR: 200m 20.19 (2006) 43.62 (2006)
Born: January 31, 1984 in Irving, Texas
Current Residence: Grand Prairie, Texas
High School: Lamar (Arlington, Texas) HS '02
College: Baylor '06
Coach: Clyde Hart
Agent: Michael Johnson
Club: adidas
Career Highlights: 2005 World Outdoor 400m & 4x400m relay gold medalist; 2004 Olympic 400m & 4x400m relay gold medalist; two-time USA Outdoor champion (2004, '05); 2004 NCAA Indoor & Outdoor champion
Wariner continued his world dominance of the men's 400 meters in 2006 in posting a new personal best and the world's fastest time of 43.62 seconds, bettering the 44-second barrier on three occasions, and posting the five-fastest times in the world that season. For his efforts, Wariner was ranked #1 in the world for the third consecutive year by Track & Field News. The only race he did not win was the final competition of the season in Shanghai when he did not finish. Wariner saved his best performance for the biggest stage in 2005 in winning the gold medal at the World Outdoor Championship in Helsinki, Finland. Wariner won the race in a then personal best time of 43.93 seconds, and joined fellow Americans Lee Evans, Michael Johnson, Harry "Butch" Reynolds, Larry James, Quincy Watts, Danny Everett and Steve Lewis as the only athletes in history to break the 44-second barrier. At season's end, Wariner became only the ninth quarter-miler ever to repeat as the world's #1 ranked 400m in the 59-year history of the Track & Field News annual rankings.. The then 20-year-old Wariner shocked the world with his gold medal winning performance at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. With his win in his then personal best time of 44.00 seconds, Wariner became the youngest gold medalist in the event since 19-year-old Steve Lewis won in 1988 and posted the fastest time in the world since Michael Johnson in 2000. He also broke Johnson's Baylor school record. With Wariner placing first, followed by fellow Americans Otis Harris and Derrick Brew in second and third place respectively, the U.S. got its first sweep in the 400 since 1988. Later in Athens he ran the third leg on Team USA's Olympic gold medal winning 4x400m relay squad. Wariner ran the then fastest time in the world in 2004 at the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento by clocking 44.37 to claim the 400-meter title. “I just feel like he's a young man who is good to coach,” said his coach, Clyde Hart. “He loves running, he loves practice. I thought Michael [Johnson] was going to be only one I had to possess all those qualities, but Jeremy has all of it, too. If you have a natural ability to do that, you just go out there and get him ready.” Earlier in 2004 Wariner captured NCAA titles in both the indoor and outdoor 400 meters, setting stadium records at each championship. Wariner ran 44.71 at the outdoor championships in Austin and 45.39 at the indoor championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Wariner also led the Baylor 4x400-meter relay to a pair of national titles, setting an NCAA indoor record at 3:03.96 and clocking the fastest collegiate time this season of 3:01.03 at the NCAA outdoor meet. Winning was second nature to Wariner all season long, having lost only to his Baylor teammate, Darold Williamson. Wariner lettered in track and football at Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, where he set school records in the 200, 400 and 4x100 relay...he holds the regional records in the 200 and 400 and won state titles in those two events...a member of the 2002 USA World Junior Team, Wariner is a three-time junior All-American in the 400...became a professional athlete after the Olympics, and has fellow Clyde Hart prot?g? Michael Johnson as his agent...his nickname of “Pookie” is embroidered on his racing spikes. He enjoys cooking, cars and his "dream car" is a 1968 Camero. He has a St. Bernard named "Heidi."
2006: 5th at USA Outdoors 200m (20.24)...1st at Golden Gala (43.62PB, WL)...Ran third leg in setting indoor 4x400m American record of 3:01.96 with Kerron Clement, Wallace Spearmon and Jeremy Wariner on Feb. 11 at Fayetteville, Ark... 2nd at adidas Classic (20.19)...1st in the 400m Golden League Meeting in Oslo (44.31)...1st at the Michael Johnson Invitational in Waco, TX (44.12)...1st at Meeting Gaz de France Paris Saint-Denis (43.91)... 1st at DN Galan (44.02)...1st at London Grand Prix (43.99)...2nd at Carson (20.19)...ranked #1 in world by T&FN...bests of 20.19, 43.62.
2005: World Outdoor 400m (43.93) champion...World Outdoor 4X400m relay gold medalist (2:56.91)...1st in 400m at USA Outdoor Champs (44.20)...1st in 400m at adidas Track Classic (44.53)...1st in round 1 in Lausanne (44.96)...2nd at Waco, Tex. (45.13)...ranked #1 in world by T&FN...best of 43.93.
2004: Olympic 400m gold medalist (44.00PR, fastest in the world in 2004)...Olympic 4x400m relay gold medalist (3rd leg in 43.98 - 2:55.91)...Olympic Trials champion (44.37)NCAA Indoor champion (45.39)NCAA Outdoor Champion (44.71)NCAA Indoor 4x400m relay champion (3:03.96)NCAA Outdoor 4x400m relay champion (3:01.03)ranked #1 in the world by T&FNbest of 44.00PR.
2003: U.S. Junior 400m champion (46.41)2nd at Pan Am Junior Champs (45.63)7th at NCAA Indoors 400 (46.21)2nd at Big 12 Indoors (46.33)3rd at Big 12 Outdoors (46.59)best of 45.13
2002: 4th at USA Junior Championships (46.10)2nd at Golden West Invitationalbest of 46.10.
