Jeremy Wariner

Defending Olympic 400-meter champion Jeremy Wariner and his longtime coach have split over a contract dispute with the Beijing Games just seven months away.

Clyde Hart, who has coached Wariner for five years beginning with their days at Baylor University, said Tuesday that Wariner wanted to pay him less than his previous contracts.

Hart declined to say if Wariner has lined up a new coach. Wariner's agent is world record holder Michael Johnson, another Hart protege.

Hart said his previous one-year contract paid him a percentage of Wariner's earnings and that the runner offered him a new deal for less pay.

"The better he did, the better the coach would be compensated" under the old deal, Hart said. "If he didn't do good, I would suffer also."

In addition to the Olympic gold medal, Wariner won the gold medal at the 2005 and 2007 World Championships, setting a personal record each year under Hart's tutoring. He's favored to repeat his Olympic medal this year.

Hart deflected a question whether the dispute strained his relationship with Johnson and Wariner.

"It's been a strange situation all the way around," Hart said.

Johnson did not immediately respond to a telephone message seeking comment left with Wariner's manager, Deon Minor. According to Wariner's Web site, he's scheduled to compete at the Sydney Grand Prix in Australia on Feb. 16.

Hart has long been considered a 400-meters guru with an international reputation for developing some of the biggest names in the track.

Hart is an eight-time National Track and Field Coach of the Year and received the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Coach of the Year award in 1996, 2004, and 2006.

Hart said he enjoyed coaching Wariner but made his decision based on the business of the sport.

"It was good money, and probably most people would jump at it in a heartbeat," he said, without giving specifics. "I just felt that any type of cutback wasn't justified."

Hart said he will continue to coach Sanya Richards, the world's top-ranked female runner over 400 meters the past three years.

"I feel Jeremy will continue to be successful because he has a strong desire to excel and is blessed with tremendous athletic ability. I wish him the very best in his pursuit of Olympic gold," Hart said.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

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