Reigning world and Olympic 400m champion LaShawn Merritt, still serving a doping ban, was named to the United States team for the athletics World Championships by USA Track and Field.

Merritt was granted a waiver by the US athletics governing body from its regulation that world team competitors have taken part at the prior US championships.

The USA Track and Field board of directors met last week at Eugene and approved the recommendation of its sport performance chief and men’s track committee chairman in including Merritt in the squad.

The world meet will be staged August 27-September 4 in Daegu.

Merritt tested positive for DHEA in October, 2009, and last October, an American Arbitration Association (AAA) panel declared that his ban would end July 27, less than the usual 24-month ban, thereby making Merritt eligible to compete prior to the World Championships.

The arbitrators stated they believed his positive test stemmed from an inadvertent action and was not intended to produce a competitive advantage.