By Rob Gloster
The Associated Press

ATHENS - Picking up where Michael Johnson left off, Jeremy Wariner became the sixth consecutive American to win the Olympic 400 title, leading a U.S. sweep of the medals Monday.

Wariner finished in 44.00 seconds - a personal best and the fastest time in the world this year. He was followed by silver medalist Otis Harris (44.16) and bronze medalist Derrick Brew (44.42).

Asked whether he ever had a bigger moment, Wariner stayed stoic.

"Besides being born," said the 20-year-old, "I don't think so."

Also Monday, the American decathlon world champion Tom Pappas, expected to be a star of these Olympics in his ancestral Greek homeland, slipped almost out of medal contention.

Wariner has been tabbed the successor to Johnson, who ruled the 400 for more than a decade, still holds the world record of 43.18 and won gold in 1996 and 2000. After the race Johnson came down from the stands, where he was doing commentary for the BBC, to congratulate the man who took his title - and his coach, Baylor University's Clyde Hart.

Johnson said Wariner shares his ability to focus, but rejected other comparisons.

"I see a great athlete who at 20 years old has come out here and won. I didn't do that at 20 years old, I didn't make an Olympic team," Johnson said. "He's got bigger earrings than I had, he's his own guy."

The United States has dominated the event since 1984, winning 13 of the 18 medals in the last six Olympics. Americans also have four medal sweeps - 1904, 1968, 1988 and this summer.

Wariner is the first white American man to win a sprint medal since Mike Larabee's 400 gold in 1964.

Kazakhstan's Dmitriy Karpov led halfway through the two-day decathlon with 4,689 points, followed by Roman Sebrle of the Czech Republic with 4,594 and American champion Bryan Clay with 4,554. Pappas was fifth with 4,415.

In the 200, Allyson Felix led three American women into today's semifinals. Joining Felix were U.S. teammates Muna Lee and LaShaunte'a Moore.

In the 100-meter hurdles, world champion Perdita Felicien of Canada and two Americans reached the final.

Joanna Hayes won her semifinal heat, while U.S. teammate Melissa Morrison was second to Felicien in the other heat in 12.53.