By: Patricia Trutescu

Although the U.S. might have won the past seven Olympic titles in the men’s 400 since 1984, this year, none of the three American entrants, which included 2008 champion LaShawn Merritt, qualified for Monday’s final. Instead, the attention was turned to several Caribbean entrants.

Last night, Kirani James won Grenada’s first gold medal in Olympic history. The 19-year-old James is the reigning world champion and a two-time NCAA champion for the University of Alabama. He completed the 400 meter in 43.94 seconds.

Luguelin Santos of the Dominican Republic received the silver after finishing the 400-meters in 44.46 seconds. He earned his country its second medal of the London Games, shortly after Felix Sanchez won the 400-meter hurdles.

Lalonde Gordon of Trinidad and Tobago finished third in the 400, getting a bronze.