Portsmouth's LaShawn Merritt wins gold in 1600 meter relay

Portsmouth's LaShawn Merritt won another gold medal at the Beijing Games, this time as part of the 1,600-meter relay team Saturday.

Merritt, the 400-meter Olympic champion, teamed with Angelo Taylor, David Neville and Jeremy Wariner to set an Olympic record in a time of 2 minutes, 55.39 seconds.

The time was the second-best ever, behind the world-record of 2:54.29 set by Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson in 1993.

Former Norfolk State runner Chris Brown earned a medal for helping the Bahamas run 2:58.03 and take silver. Russia ran 2:58.06 for bronze.

No one was even close to the United States.

"We have four of the top quarter-milers in the world," Merritt said. "We swept the 400 and we swept the 400 hurdles. I told Neville that all he had to do was run his race. This was our first championship with him on a major level.

"My first games with two gold medals, a PR (personal record) and an Olympic record. You couldn't ask for anything better than that."

Merritt gave the United States the early lead with a strong first l eg - 44.35. He handed off to Taylor, who extended the lead with a split of 43.70. Neville, the 400 bronze medalist, ran the third leg in 44.16, extending the lead. Then Wariner, the anchor, blazed a 43.16 leg to clinch the victory and the Olympic record.

"Coming into the relay, we all came together and wanted to run as a team," Wariner said. "We all ran our hardest and ended up getting an Olympic record. This was a great way to finish the Olympics."

Merritt and Taylor were the only U.S. track athletes to leave Beijing with two golds each.

Merritt, 22, said he accomplished everything he set out to do in Beijing.

"It's the Olympic Games. You have to show up," he said. "If you don't show up all year, this is the time to do it.

"I showed up and I was victorious."

So what does the future hold? Merritt might be on the verge of breaking Michael Johnson's world record of 43.18.

"He could get the world record at a couple of the post-Olympic meets, where he'll be picking up major dollars," said Mike Byrnes, co-founder of the National Scholastic Sports Foundation. "But if he doesn't get it this summer, he'll get the world record next summer."

Byrnes is the former meet director of the Nike Indoor Nationals and Nike Outdoor Nationals. He met Merritt four years ago, when he approached him about running in his meets.

He said Merritt has the charisma, personality and talent to be the face of track and field for the next four years.

"He'll be back in 2012 because he'll still be young,"

Byrnes said. "There will be other kids that will be coming up to challenge him, but I think for the next four years, he will be the prominent track and field athlete in the world. I really do believe that. "

Larry Rubama, (757) 446-2273, larry.rubama@pilotonline.com