It was supposed to be a reunion of the two top 400m runners in the world -- Icon's LaShawn Merritt and Jeremy Wariner -- but that matchup will have to wait.

LaShawn emerged victorious in Athens, continuing his 2009 win streak at 400m.

Wariner dropped out of the Athens Tsiklitiria Grand Prix on Monday, and LaShawn stormed to another victory in what remains an undefeated season at the quarter mile.

As reported by IAAF.org:

Since his face-off with World champion Jeremy Wariner didn’t materialise with the withdrawal of the latter, Merritt was forced to run against the clock when the rest of the field seemed unable to follow. After the first half, the Olympic champion began accelerating and widening his gap before eventually crossing the line with a smile after a meet record 44.54.

His compatriot David Neville improved his season’s best to 45.14m for second place, finishing the race in front of African record holder Gary Kikaya who clocked 45.29, also a season’s best.

OTHER ICON NOTABLES
Shawn Crawford took third in the 200m with a time of 20.42...Sarah Bowman took ninth in the 1500m (4:05.67).

RELATED STORIES
Merritt unpressed 44.54 (IAAF.org, July 13, 2009)
http://www.iaaf.org/GP09/news/kind=100/newsid=52049.html

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