Olympic champion hurdler Aries Merritt has revealed that he will undergo a kidney transplant when the World Athletics Championships finish this week.
The American, 30, has been suffering from a rare genetic disorder since 2013, and his sister will donate one of her kidneys for the operation on September 1.
Merritt, who won gold in the 110m event in London 2012, booked his place in today's semi-final after winning his heat in a time of 13.25s.
"After the Worlds, I'll focus on it," the Chicago-born athlete is quoted as saying by BBC Sport. "The more I train the worse my kidneys get and that's why I am getting a transplant.
"When they told me I'd never run again, my whole world ended in my mind.
"That I am here again running shows me that I'm a fighter and that I can overcome anything if I stay with a positive mind. For this championships, I'm going to take it one race at a time."
Merritt is also a world-record holder over 110m.
Shane Callaghan
