BEIJING — There are the hurdles on the track, all of which Aries Merritt cleared on Friday night on his way to a bronze medal at the world track and field championships.
But there are also the hurdles that life puts in your path, and Merritt will have to clear a particularly high one on Tuesday, when he is scheduled to have a kidney transplant in the United States.
He said his older sister, LaToya, is the donor, and though other athletes like the basketball stars Sean Elliott and Alonzo Mourning have returned from such procedures to resume their professional careers, there are no guarantees that Merritt will be back competing at this elite level again.