by Larry Eder
Aries Merritt, New WR, 12.80, 110m hurdles,
photo by PhotoRun.net
September 7, 2012: At the final Samsung Diamond League meeting, held in Brussels, Belgium today, Aries Merritt, the London gold medalist delivered on his promise of running a fast 110m hurdles. Merritt, who was also the US Olympic Trials champion this year, and then the London Olympic champion, ran a superb and mind-blowing 12.80 for the 110 meter hurdles.
Aries Merritt destroyed the former record of Dayron Robles, the 2008 Olympic champion who set the prior WR in Ostrava in 2008.
Aries Merritt had an adequate start. However, by hurdle four, Merritt was in control, and from hurdle five, Merritt was lower over the hurdles than he had been in Birmingham. ” All I wanted was a sub thirteen second race.” noted Merritt in his post race interview. Aries Merritt ran 12.80m, winning by .25 seconds over London silver medalist Jason Richardson’s 13.05! Remember when 13.05 was fast? It still is! However, Aries Merritt is now the Fastest man over 110m hurdles in the world!
Aries Merritt, as all of the world record holders before him, make it look easy. Merritt however, was focused and obviously on a mission when he took off at hurdle five. He ran hard through the finish!
One keen observer texted RBR, “this record will stay for a long time. ” Aries Merritt had been looking for a fast time since his gold medal in London. He had one false start after London, in Lausanne, when, perhaps, he wanted that record too much. In Brussels race, he took control halfway and then just hurdled superbly and sprinted to the finish, doing a proper lean at the line, netting a 12.80 new World Record!
Looking relaxed from the start, Aries Merritt took control over hurdles 4 and 5, and started to really move away from Jason Richardson. His 12.80 World Record for the 110 meter hurdles certainly outshone anything else that happened in meet 14 of this years ‘ Samsung Diamond League!
We have attached the link on the World record from american-trackandfield.com and also the video of the race is attached below! Congrats once again to Aries Merritt, who has had hamstring pulls, and a multitude of tough things during his career. His Indoor World in in Istanbul, his Olympic Trials and London Olympic wins, and now, his World record capped a proper end to a fantastic 2012 for Aries Merritt!
(Link from American-trackandfield.com: http://www.american-trackandfield.com/atf/index.php/news/track-and-field/item/118-merritt-shatters-world-record-in-brussels-americans-grab-three-more-diamond-league-series-wins)
Watch for an upcoming RBR interview with the new world record holder!
