Jeremy Wariner facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Jeremy Wariner

Wariner in 2006
Personal information
Born	(1984-01-31) January 31, 1984 (age 41) Irving, Texas, U.S.
Residence	McKinney, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	155 lb (70 kg)
Sport
Sport	Running
Event(s)	400 meters
Medal record Men's athletics Representing the  United States Olympic Games Gold 2004 Athens 400 m Gold 2004 Athens 4×400 m relay Gold 2008 Beijing 4×400 m relay Silver 2008 Beijing 400 m World Championships Gold 2005 Helsinki 400 m Gold 2005 Helsinki 4×400 m relay Gold 2007 Osaka 400 m Gold 2007 Osaka 4×400 m relay Gold 2009 Berlin 4×400m relay Silver 2009 Berlin 400 m World Relay Championships Gold 2015 Nassau 4×400 m relay Continental Cup Gold 2010 Split 400 m Pan American Junior Championships Gold 2003 Bridgetown 4×400 m relay Silver 2003 Bridgetown 400 m

Jeremy Wariner is a retired American track athlete. He was born on January 31, 1984. Jeremy was a specialist in the 400-meter race. He won many important medals during his career.

He earned four Olympic medals. Three of these were gold and one was silver. He also won six medals at the World Championships. Jeremy is one of the fastest 400-meter runners ever. His best time was 43.45 seconds.

Jeremy was born in Irving, Texas. He was a successful college athlete at Baylor University. He won gold medals in the 400-meter race and the 4 × 400-meter relay at his first Olympics in Athens in 2004. He won two more gold medals at the 2005 World Championships. This was for the same events.

In 2006, he won every 400-meter race in the ÅF Golden League. This earned him a big prize. He won more gold medals at the 2007 Osaka World Championships. He was named the Best Male Track Athlete that year. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won gold in the 4×400-meter relay. He took silver in the 400-meter race, finishing behind LaShawn Merritt. Jeremy also won a silver medal at the 2009 World Championships.

Early Career Highlights

Jeremy Wariner went to Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas. He played many sports there. People noticed his amazing speed. His coach, Mike Nelson, helped him a lot.

In 2002, he became the Texas 5A state sprint champion. He won both the 200-meter and 400-meter races. His best high school times were 20.41 seconds (with wind help) and 45.57 seconds.

He then went to Baylor University. There, he became a top college sprinter. His coach was Clyde Hart. Coach Hart also trained Michael Johnson, another famous 400-meter runner. Jeremy had some injuries in his first year. But he got back in shape as a sophomore.

In 2004, he won the NCAA Division I indoor and outdoor 400-meter titles. Later that year, he won the national 400-meter title at the USATF Championships. This made him a favorite for the gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens.

Jeremy competed in his first world athletic event at the 2004 Summer Olympics. He won two Olympic gold medals. The first was in the 400-meter race. He set a personal best time of 44.00 seconds. The second gold was as part of the U.S. 4 × 400-meter relay team. After his Olympic wins, he became a professional athlete. He still trained with Coach Clyde Hart.

Professional Career

In 2005, Jeremy won the 400-meter race at the USATF championship. His time was 44.20 seconds. At the Helsinki World Championships, he won the 400-meter race in 43.93 seconds. He then helped the American team win gold in the 4 × 400-meter relay.

In early 2006, Jeremy ran the 200-meter race. He set a new personal best of 20.19 seconds. Later that year, he ran his fastest 400-meter race at the Golden Gala Meet in Rome. His time was 43.62 seconds. He won all six of his Golden League 400-meter events that season. This earned him a total of $250,000.

In 2007, he had many strong 400-meter performances. This led to the Osaka World Championships. On August 31, 2007, he won the 400-meter race in 43.45 seconds. This was his personal best. It made him the third-fastest runner of all time in that event. Only Michael Johnson and Butch Reynolds had run faster.

Rivalry with LaShawn Merritt

In 2008, Jeremy changed coaches. He started working with Michael Ford instead of Clyde Hart. This was a surprise because he had been very successful with Coach Hart. Jeremy said he needed a change.

At the 2008 USATF championship, Jeremy finished second in the 400-meter final. He lost to LaShawn Merritt. But he still earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team for the 400-meter race and the 4×400-meter relay.

Wariner at the finish line of the 400 m sprint finals, 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics

At the 2008 Olympics, Jeremy made it to the final. He ran 44.12 seconds in his qualifying race. Many thought he might break Michael Johnson's world record in the final. But he won the silver medal instead. LaShawn Merritt finished almost a second ahead of him. David Neville came in third. This meant the United States won all three medals in the 400-meter race.

After the Olympics, Jeremy realized he had made a mistake by changing coaches. He apologized to Coach Hart. He went back to training with him. LaShawn Merritt's success meant Jeremy was no longer the top athlete in the 400-meter race.

At the 2009 World Championships, Jeremy won the silver medal in the 400 meters. Again, LaShawn Merritt finished first. Jeremy also won a gold medal in the 4 × 400-meter relay.

2012 London Olympics and Comeback

Jeremy was chosen for his third Olympic team in 2012. He was part of the Team USA 4 × 400-meter relay squad. He did not qualify for the individual 400-meter race. He finished sixth at the U.S. Olympic Trials.

At the Olympics, Jeremy had to leave the relay team. He had a torn hamstring injury.

In March 2013, Jeremy won the National Champion title at 400 meters. This was at the USA Indoor Track & Field Championships. However, at the 2013 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he did not make it past the first round. He finished last in his heat. He ran 44.96 seconds at the 2016 Mt. SAC Relays. This helped him qualify for the 2016 United States Olympic Trials. But at the trials, he stopped running during the semifinal race due to an injury.

Awards and Honors

Jeremy Wariner has received several important awards.

• In 2014, he was added to the Baylor Bears Hall of Fame.
• In 2016, he was inducted into the Texas Track and Field Coaches Hall of Fame.

Personal Bests

Here are Jeremy Wariner's best times in different running events:

Personal Life

Jeremy Wariner married Sarah Nichols in 2011. They have three children: Isabella, Lincoln, and Elijah. Besides their careers, the Wariners own a Jimmy John's restaurant in Dallas, Texas. Jeremy works there as a general manager.

Jeremy used to be the head track coach at Parish Episcopal School in Dallas. In July 2023, he moved to Liberty Christian School (Argyle, Texas). He is now their head track and cross country coach. He also helps with sports information and media.

In 2018, Jeremy played flag football for a team called Godspeed. This team had many former professional American football players. They won the championship for pro teams.

Rankings

Experts from Track and Field News ranked Jeremy Wariner among the best 400-meter sprinters. This was from 2004 to 2013.

See also

In Spanish: Jeremy Wariner para niños

• List of multiple Olympic gold medalists