EUGENE, Oregon: LaShawn Merritt held off Olympic and world 400-meter champion Jeremy Wariner in the final straightaway Thursday to upset his long-time nemesis and seize bragging rights for the Beijing Olympics.

Merritt had lost 11 of 13 prior races to Wariner but edged him June 1 at Berlin, inflicting Wariner’s first loss in a race he finished since 2005, and won again here at the US Olympic Track and Field Trials.

“I’ve been coming in second in the US for the past couple of years but after today this moment is over,” Merritt said. On a night that also saw Sanya Richards book her Beijing berth by capturing the women’s 400 crown, Merritt grabbed the lead early and held off Wariner’s kick in the final 100 metres to win in 44.00 with Wariner second in 44.20.

“I stepped on the track pretty confident. I came into the finals knowing that now was the time to do what I needed to do,” Merritt said. “When I got to the curve I was smelling Beijing and victory so I just wanted to bring it home,” she added.

Wariner refused to surrender Beijing bragging rights in spite of the defeat. “I think I’m still the favourite. I’ve been there before and I know what it takes to win,” Wariner said. “I’m not real disappointed, but I am disappointed in how I ran the race. I just didn’t run how I should have. I need to stay focused on my race. I didn’t execute the way I wanted to. I know what I need to do,” he added.

Wariner plans to use to loss as a wake-up call on his way to meets at Rome, Paris and Stockholm before he meets Merritt again next month in Beijing. “This motivates me and I know I need to train harder. I got to 200 meters and let him get me in the end. I didn’t execute right. You win some, you lose some.”

Jamaican-born Richards won the women’s 400 in 49.89, pulling away around the final curve to defeat runner-up Mary Wineberg by .96 of a second with Dee Dee Trotter third in 50.88. “I wanted to win here and go into Beijing as the heavy favourite,” Richards said. “I’m feeling like all my hard work is paying off and I definitely felt like the strongest,” she added.

Richards won on the 2004 Olympic gold medal US 4x400 relay but has never won an individual world or Olympic gold at the distance. “I’ve been thinking about Beijing all year, but I knew this was going to be the most important step to get there,” Richards said.

“I tried to contain all the nerves and the anxiety and execute a perfect race and I almost did,” she said. Richards, 23, was fourth at last year’s US meet and missed the world championships after not having lost in the event in almost two years. New medication for a strength-sapping illness has her back on form for Beijing.

Brisk winds played a role in the race, with Richards more concerned about a top-three finish to reach Beijing than a fast time. “It was so windy on the backstretch. I knew that was going to play a factor in the time,” she said. “I got out really, really fast and then just tried to stay relaxed down the backstretch, then I worked the curve and came in strong,” she added.

Reigning 1,500 and 5,000 world champion Bernard Lagat, who won the 5,000 on Monday, continued his Beijing double bid, reaching Friday’s 1,500 semifinals in spite of finishing fourth in his heat behind overall pace-setter Alan Webb.

Webb led 24 who advanced in 3:41.27 with Lagat qualifying easily in 3:42.11. Also advancing were Sudan-born Lopez Lomong, who won his heat in 3:43.38, and Mexican-born Leonel Manzano, second to Lomong in 3:43.41. “This is my race. It felt good,” Lomong said.

Pole vaulter Jenn Stuczynski and 2000 Olympic champion Stacy Dragila were among 12 qualifiers for Sunday’s women’s pole vault final by clearing 4.30m. Anna Willard set an American record to win the women’s 3,000 steeplechase, making its Olympic debut at Beijing, in 9:27.59, 1.16 seconds under Lisa Galaviz’s mark from last July.