University of Tennessee Athletics
VFL Merritt Advances to 110m Hurdles Final at World Championships
August 06, 2017 | Track & Field
Aries Merritt will compete in Monday's men's 110-meter hurdles final at 4:30 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network
Photo: United States' Aries Merritt competes in a men's 110-meter hurdles first round heat during the World Athletics Championships in London Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017. Photo Credit: David J. Phillip, AP
LONDON -- Former Tennessee NCAA champion and All-American Aries Merritt has advanced to Monday's final for the men's 110-meter hurdles at the London 2017 IAAF World Championships at London Stadium.
On Sunday morning, Merritt won his heat in prelims with a time of 13.16 to advance to the evening's semifinals. In the semifinals, he took second place in the third heat with a time of 13.25 to earn a spot in the final, which will be on Monday at 4:30 p.m. ET (9:30 p.m. in London) on NBC Sports Network.
Merritt won gold in the 110-meter hurdles in the 2012 London Olympics and bronze in the Beijing 2015 IAAF World Championships. Earlier this summer he won the event at the 2017 IAAF Diamond League in Rome. Merritt's return to elite status in the sport has been inspiring as he is just under two years removed from receiving a kidney transplant from his sister.
VFLs Justin Gatlin and Christian Coleman received their medals for the men's 100 meters on Sunday. Gatlin took gold in 9.92 and Coleman took silver in 9.94 as the Vols edged the great Usain Bolt, who took bronze for Jamaica in 9.95 in his final professional 100 meters.
Gatlin and Coleman will join forces for Team USA on Aug. 12 when they run in the men's 4x100.
Tennessee great Tianna Bartoletta will begin competing in the women's long jump on Aug. 9 at 2:10 p.m. ET (7:10 p.m. London time). She will also run in the women's 4x100 on Aug. 12.
Players Mentioned
