Aries Merritt facts for kids
Merritt at the 2012 IAAF World Indoor Championships
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Born | July 24, 1985 Chicago, Illinois, U.S. |
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| Residence | Bryan, Texas | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 158 lb (72 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Running | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Event(s) | Hurdles | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| College team | Tennessee Volunteers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| Updated on 28 August 2015. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Aries Merritt (born July 24, 1985) is an American track and field athlete. He is famous for running the 110 meter hurdles race. Aries holds the world record in this event. He set this record on September 7, 2012, with an amazing time of 12.80 seconds. Aries also won a gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.
Contents
Early Life and College Career
Aries Merritt was born in Chicago, Illinois. When he was young, his family moved to Marietta, Georgia. He went to Joseph Wheeler High School there. In high school, he was teammates with another athlete named Reggie Witherspoon.
Aries ran for the University of Tennessee from 2003 to 2006. He had a very successful time in college sports. He was named an All-American seven times. In 2004, he won a gold medal in the 110 meter hurdles at the World Junior Championships.
In 2006, Aries won the NCAA Championships for both indoor and outdoor hurdles. He was undefeated in all hurdles races that year. He even broke a hurdles record for the Tennessee Volunteers team. His winning time at the NCAA Championships was one of the fastest ever for a college athlete.
Professional Athletics Journey
Aries Merritt is the first hurdler to achieve something very special. He won gold medals in four major events all in the same year. These events were the US Indoor Championship, the World Indoor Championship, the US Olympic Trials, and the Olympic Games. This happened in 2012.
2011 Season Highlights
At the 110 meter hurdles final in 2011, Aries Merritt finished in 6th place. His time was 13.67 seconds. Later, another runner was disqualified, and Aries moved up to 5th place. His best time for that year was 13.12 seconds.
2012: A Golden Year
Aries Merritt made a big change to his running style in 2012. He changed how he approached the first hurdle. He used seven steps instead of eight. This was a risky move, but it helped him keep his speed. He said he needed to make a change to compete with other top hurdlers.
This change worked very well for him. He became the indoor world champion in the 60 meters hurdles. This happened at the 2012 World Indoor Championships in Istanbul. He won the final with a time of 7.44 seconds.
Olympic Gold in London
Aries Merritt competed in the Olympic trials in Oregon. He won the 110 meter hurdles final with a time of 12.93 seconds. This was the fastest time in the world that year. It also meant he made the Olympic team for the first time. He then ran this same fast time in two other races.
At the 2012 Olympic Games in London, Aries was very strong. He ran the fastest time in the qualifying heats. In the semi-finals, he was dominant again. In the final race, Aries got a very fast start. He pulled ahead by the third hurdle. He kept going strong and set a new personal best time of 12.92 seconds. He won the gold medal, beating the reigning world champion.
Setting a New World Record
On September 7, 2012, Aries Merritt made history. At a track meet in Brussels, Belgium, he ran the 110 meter hurdles in an incredible 12.80 seconds. This broke the old world record of 12.87 seconds. His performance was the biggest improvement in the 110 meter hurdles world record in many years.
Here are some of his fastest times leading up to his world record:
| Meet | Date | Time |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 U.S. Olympic Trials (final) | June 30, 2012 | 12.93 |
| Aviva London Grand Prix | July 13, 2012 | 12.93 |
| Herculis | July 20, 2012 | 12.93 |
| 2012 Summer Olympics (final) | August 8, 2012 | 12.92 |
| Aviva Birmingham Grand Prix | August 26, 2012 | 12.95 |
| Internationales Stadionfest | September 2, 2012 | 12.97 |
| Belgacom Memorial Van Damme | September 7, 2012 | 12.80  |
2013: Health Challenges
In 2013, Aries Merritt finished 6th at the World Championships. After the competition, he became very sick. Doctors found out he had a rare kidney disease. A virus had also attacked his kidneys and bone marrow.
He received medical treatment for several months. The next year, he was able to return to competing. However, he was not as fast as he had been before.
2015: A Brave Comeback
Aries Merritt worked hard to recover from his kidney problems. In June 2015, he finished third in the USATF Outdoor Championships. This earned him a spot at the World Championship.
On August 28, 2015, he won a bronze medal in the 110m hurdles. This was an amazing achievement. Just four days later, he had a scheduled kidney transplant.
Later Career and Retirement
Aries won the 110 m hurdles at the 2017 IAAF Diamond League in Rome on June 8, 2017. In 2021, Aries tried to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics, which were delayed due to the pandemic. However, he did not make the team.
After his running career, Aries Merritt became a coach. He worked as an assistant coach for sprints and hurdles at Brown University from 2022 to 2024. In the fall of 2024, he was hired as an assistant coach at Texas State University.
Personal Best Times
| Event | Best Time | Location | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 55 meters hurdles | 7.10 s | Gainesville, Florida, United States | January 21, 2006 | |
| 60 meters hurdles | 7.43 s | Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States | February 26, 2012 | |
| 110 meters hurdles | 12.80 s | Brussels, Belgium | September 7, 2012 | World Record |
| 200 meters | 21.46 s | Bloomington, Indiana, United States | January 7, 2006 | |
| 400 meters hurdles | 51.94 s | Knoxville, Tennessee, United States | April 9, 2004 |
International Competition Results
| Year | Competition | Venue | Position | Event | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Representing  United States |
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| 2004 | World Junior Championships | Grosseto, Italy | 1st | 110 m hurdles | 13.56 (wind: -0.6 m/s) |
| 2009 | World Championships | Berlin, Germany | 27th (h) | 13.70 | |
| 2011 | World Championships | Daegu, South Korea | 5th | 13.67 | |
| 2012 | World Indoor Championships | Istanbul, Turkey | 1st | 60 m hurdles | 7.44 |
| Olympic Games | London, United Kingdom | 110 m hurdles | 12.92 | ||
| 2013 | World Championships | Moscow, Russia | 6th | 13.31 | |
| 2015 | World Championships | Beijing, China | 3rd | 13.04 | |
| 2017 | World Championships | London, United Kingdom | 5th | 13.31 | |
| 2018 | World Indoor Championships | Birmingham, United Kingdom | 4th | 60 m hurdles | 7.56 |
See also
In Spanish: Aries Merritt para niños
