EUGENE, Oregon: Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt gave himself a trip to Berlin for his birthday, booking his ticket to the World Championships with a world best-equalling triumph at the US Athletics Championships.

Merritt, who turned 23 on Saturday, defied tricky winds that bedevilled competitors at historic Hayward Field to win in 44.50sec, matching the season's best time he set at Baie Mahault on May 1.

"I'm getting old, getting old," laughed Merritt, who looked anything-but as he lined up a World Championship clash with defending title holder Jeremy Wariner.

With the luxury of a bye to Berlin, Wariner opted to race the 200m here this week. In his absence, Gil Roberts won the battle for second in 44.93, ahead of 400m hurdles world champion Kerron Clement (45.14), while Olympic bronze medallist David Neville finished fifth.

"I played it smart. I didn’t want to race hard the whole way," Merritt said. "Because I knew the wind, I ran in it these past two days. I got through it. I got on the curve, worked it and finished up strong."

The conditions didn't stop Lashinda Demus from improving on her season-leading time in the 400m hurdles as she won in 53.78sec. Sheena Tosta was second in 54.45 and Tiffany Williams third in 55.18.

Sanya Richards, aiming at a world title this year to expunge the memory of her disappointing bronze in Beijing, won the women's 400m in 50.05.

"I don't think it was one of my best races this year. The wind has been really difficult at Hayward Field this week. I wanted to be careful," said Richards, who finished ahead of Debbie Dunn and Jessica Beard.

"Today was kind of a mental battle."

Reigning world champion Brad Walker, also aiming to make up for Olympic disappointment this season, won the pole vault in his first competition of 2009 with a height of 5.75. Jeremy Scott was second and Derek Miles third, both clearing the same height.

David Payne won the 110m hurdles, barely edging two-time Olympic silver medallist Terrence Trammell with Aries Merritt third.

Dwight Phillips sparked cheers with his winning long jump of 8.57m, achieved on his second attempt.

Phillips, the 2003 and 2005 world champion and the 2004 Olympic champion, struggled with injuries last year. He won the Prefontaine Classic here earlier this month with a jump of 8.74m - which equalled the longest jump in the world since Mike Powell set the world record of 8.95m in 1991.

A string of marquee names stayed on course in their events, as two-time defending 200m world champion Allyson Felix rolled into the 200m semi-finals.

Shawn Crawford had the top time in men's 200m heats, clocking 20.19.

Olympic gold medallist Dawn Harper and Lolo Jones advanced to the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles, setting up a possible Beijing Games rematch.

Jones went into Beijing as the world's fastest in the event, took a big lead but struck the ninth hurdle and failed to medal. Unheralded Harper raced past her for the gold.

Jones's bid to bounce back from that disappointment has been disrupted by a torn hamstring suffered in April.

"It takes a little longer to warm up and get loose," she said of the lingering effects of the injury. "In the race you don't feel anything."

Olympic gold medallist Angelo Taylor safely reached the 400m hurdles final, as did bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson.

- AFP/yb