LaShawn Merritt has now won more Olympic Trials than regular old U.S. championships. This was his third straight Olympic Trials win and fifth U.S. title overall. His winning time of 43.97 makes him the first man in the world under 44 seconds in 2016.

.@LaShawnMerritt sets the WORLDS FASTEST TIME in the 400m final!

What an unbelievable race! #TrackTown16 https://t.co/dIqSAaKYiT

— U.S. Olympic Team (@TeamUSA) July 4, 2016

Gil Roberts set a hot pace early and locked up badly in the last 30 meters; despite what looked like full-fledged bootylock in the last 15 meters, he made the team in second. Roberts was rewarded for his pacesetting with a 44.73 clocking. He ran under protest in the semifinals after initially getting flagged for a false start. His protest was upheld and he made the most of his chance to run in the final tonight.

David Verburg ran 44.82 to become the third man on the team in Rio. Merritt went to East Carolina (very briefly), Roberts went to Texas Tech, and Verburg ran for George Mason. Merritt won Olympic gold in Beijing in 2008 but dropped out in the prelims in 2012.