(Sporting Alert) — Jeremy Wariner struggles continued this season, following another below par performance over 400 metres at an IAAF World Challenge Meeting in Rabat on Sunday.
The American who won gold in the discipline at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004, only managed to produce a time of 46.06 seconds for fifth place behind fellow countryman LaShawn Merritt, who crossed the finish line first in 45.22.
Wariner, who has a seasonal best of 45.35, is hoping to regain his form in time ahead of the U.S. Trials, which will be used to select the team for this summer’s IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.
The quarter-miler has failed to break the 45-seconds barrier since April last year.
Also at the meet, French star sprinter Christophe Lemaitre recovered from a poor start to beat American Justin Gatlin in a wind-aid 100m dash.
Lemaitre clocked 9.98 seconds, assisted by a positive 2.9 m/s to take the win over Gatlin, who recently defeated world record holder Usain Bolt in Rome, coming home second in 10.02.
St Kitts and Nevis veteran Kim Collins was third with 10.10.
Elsewhere at the meet, Ethiopian Mohamed Aman won the men’s 800m in 1:44.37, while Jamaica sprinter Kerron Stewart won the women’s 100m in 11.24 (+ 1.3) and Fadwa Sidi Madane of Morocco ran a World Junior lead time and personal best of 9:51.50 in the women’s 3000m steeplechase, although she was only 10th behind Ethiopian Hiwot Ayalew (9:18.72).
