RIO DE JANEIRO _ LaShawn Merritt wants to be known more as an Olympic champion than the guy who got failed three drug tests and blamed it on taking male-enhancement pills.
Merritt will get a shot at gold Sunday night following his strong performance Saturday in the men's 400m semifinals. The Virginia native cruised to a finish of 44.21 seconds, second to the 44.02 of Grenada's Kirani James.
"I wanted to run smooth, work on some things and not go all out because the final is (Sunday) and that's what matters," Merritt said. "I was top two. I feel good. My body feels good. I will go back and look at some film and execute (Sunday)."
Merritt, 30, won two golds in 2008 in Beijing (400m and 4x400m relay) but got banned in 2010. The failed tests carried a 24-month suspension, but that was reduced to 21 after a 7-Eleven store clerk testified and backed up Merritt's claim that he had purchased ExtenZe, which contains the steroid DHEA.
Merritt used the words "foolish, immature and egotistical" in 2010 to describe his mistake.
A hamstring injury wrecked his chances to win in London in 2012. James stepped in, winning gold with a time of 43.94. (Merritt blazed in Beijing at 43.75.)
Now the two are set to go head-to-head.
"It will be a dog fight," James said. "At the end of the day, we're all athletes trying to do the best for our country and family _ and most important, to try to make the sport grow. The more competition we have, the more the sport grows.
"It's an honor when you see the message board conversations about who has better technique, who has the better finish. As long as we can keep generating interest in the sport, it's win-win for everyone."
So who has the better form?
"That's based on your opinion," James replied politely. "And Michael Johnson's."
Johnson, an analyst for BBC, still holds the Olympic (43.49) and World records (43.18) in the 400m.
