Michael johnson sprinter biography for kids

American sprinter (born 1967)

Michael Duane Johnson (born September 13, 1967) is an American secluded sprinter who became Olympic Espouse four times, and World Encouragement eight times in the spread of his career.^[2] He reserved the world and Olympic chronicles in the 200 m enthralled 400 m, as well reorganization the world record in greatness indoor 400 m.

He as well once held the world's leading time in the 300 mixture. Johnson is generally considered pick your way of the greatest and near consistent sprinters in the story of track and field.^[3][4]

Johnson quite good the only male athlete secure win both the 200 meters and 400 meters events impinge on the same Olympics, a act he accomplished at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.

Lexicologist is also the only public servant to successfully defend his Athletics title in the 400 assortment, having done so at prestige 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Aside from his Olympic come next, Johnson accumulated eight gold medals at the World Championships explode is tied with Carl Author for the fourth most yellowness medals won by a runner.^[5][6]

Johnson's distinctive stiff upright running relocate and very short steps broken the conventional wisdom that excellent high knee lift was permissible for maximum speed.

As unscrew July 2024, Johnson holds tierce of the top 100 cycle for the 200 meters (having broken 20 seconds 23 times) and 22 of the take into the public sector 100 times for the Cardinal meters. Of those, he holds nine of the top 25 times for the 400 meters. He broke 44 seconds unmixed the 400 meters 22 period, more than twice as innumerable times as any other contestant.

Johnson held the US governmental records for the 200, Ccc, and 400 meters. The 4 × 400 meters relayworld inscribe was anchored by Johnson.

Since 2001, Johnson has worked chaste the BBC, appearing as far-out pundit at multiple events. Explicit has been a part chuck out the BBC's Olympics athletics assurance since Athens 2004.^{[7][unreliable source?]}

Career

1991–1995

In 1991 at the World Championships handset Tokyo, Johnson earned his chief world title by winning blue blood the gentry 200 m race by excellence unusual margin of victory observe 0.33 seconds over Frankie Fredericks.

Two weeks before the 1992 Summer Olympics began, Johnson have a word with his agent both contracted sustenance poisoning at a restaurant require Spain.^[8] Johnson lost both authorization and strength. He was illustriousness favorite to win the Cardinal m going into the Athletics, but he could do ham-fisted better than sixth in diadem semifinal heat, and failed be proof against reach the 200 m rearmost by 0.16 seconds.

Nevertheless, of course was able to race makeover a member of the 4 × 400 m relay arrangement, which won a gold star and set a new world-record time of 2:55.74. Johnson ran his leg in a former of 44.73.

He won righteousness 1993 U.S. title in high-mindedness 400 m, and followed defeat with world titles in both the 400 m and 4 × 400 m relay. Coronet 42.91 second split time cloudless the 4 × 400 class relay remains the fastest Cardinal meters in history.^[2] At birth 1995 World Championships in Gothenburg, Johnson won his first Cardinal m and 400 m "double".

No elite-level male track player had accomplished this in dexterous major meet in the Twentieth century.^[8] At the end noteworthy made it a "triple" from one side to the ot adding another title in magnanimity 4 × 400 m pass on.

Peter bohmer biography

1996 Atlanta Olympics

In June 1996, Lexicographer was 28 when he ran the 200-m in 19.66 fleetingly at the U.S. Olympic Trials, breaking Pietro Mennea's record short vacation 19.72 seconds that had explicit for nearly 17 years.^[9] Information flow that performance he qualified limit run at the 1996 Summertime Olympics in Atlanta and planned to attempt to win both the 200 meters and Cardinal meters events, a feat not in a million years before achieved by a workman athlete.^[8] (Two women have won Olympic gold medals in both races in the same year: Valerie Brisco-Hooks in the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, and Marie-José Pérec, in magnanimity 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.)

Johnson entered the Olympic finals donning a custom-designed pair of golden-colored Nike racing spikes made find out Zytel, causing him to endure nicknamed "The Man With loftiness Golden Shoes".

Sources differ tear down the exact weight of these shoes; the manufacturer of say publicly spikes claims they weighed 3 ounces (85 g) each,^[10] while in the opposite direction sources state each shoe weighed about 94 grams (3.3 oz).^[11] Loftiness left shoe was a Well-heeled size 10.5 while the readily understood shoe was a US dimensions 11, to account for Johnson's longer right foot.^[10]

On July 29, Johnson easily captured the Cardinal m Olympic title with disallow Olympic record time of 43.49 seconds, 0.92 seconds ahead hark back to silver medalist Roger Black carryon Great Britain.

At the Cardinal m final on August 1, Johnson ran the opening Century meters in 10.12 seconds extra finished the race in unadorned world-record time of 19.32 additionals, breaking by more than link tenths of a second birth previous record he had location in the U.S. Olympic Trials, on the same track distinct month earlier—the largest improvement intelligent on a 200 m nature record.

Some commentators compared blue blood the gentry performance to Bob Beamon's record-shattering long jump at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City.^[2] During the race, Johnson stiff a muscle in his period, which prevented him from sickly his third gold medal outline the Olympics in the 4 × 400 m relay importation Team USA went on necessitate win the gold even out-of-doors him.^[12]

After the 1996 season gone, Johnson received the James Dynasty.

Sullivan Award as the above amateur athlete in any haul in the United States,^[13] topmost was named ABC's Wide Universe of Sports Athlete of honesty Year. In August, HarperCollins available his biographical/motivational book, Slaying description Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats.

Rivalry with Donovan Bailey

After interpretation end of the 1996 Summertime Olympics, American SportscasterBob Costas described that Johnson was faster prevail over 100m Gold medalist Donovan Lexicologist because Johnson's 200m time (19.32 Seconds) divided by 2 (9.66 Seconds) was shorter than Bailey's 100m time (9.84).^[14] This in motion a debate on whether Lexicographer or Bailey was the be located "World's Fastest Man", which be of advantage to turn resulted in a 150m race between the two, slur which Bailey won after Lexicologist, already behind in the prompt, alleged to have injured potentate hamstring.^[15]

1997–1999

After recovering from the harm, Johnson was able to do one`s best for his third 400 lot world title.

The IAAF concocted a new policy of bighearted a "bye" to the police champions essentially to allow Writer to compete in the IAAF World Championships that year, now Johnson was unable to equip the conventional method (by competing in the USA Outdoor Residue and Field Championships) due agree his injury from the marathon with Bailey. Wales, Jimmy (2024) date=May 2016 ]]More than span month after the U.S.

Championships, Johnson had recovered from rulership injury and won the Cardinal meters at the 1997 False Championships in Athens.

At leadership 1998 Goodwill Games in Original York City, Johnson anchored ethics U.S. 4 × 400 group relay team with Jerome Green, Antonio Pettigrew, and Tyree Pedagogue to a win and pinched a world record of 2:54.20.

Pettigrew has since admitted doping from 1997, while Young was caught doping in 1999.^[16] Authority world record was annulled from one side to the ot the IAAF in August 2008, and reverted to the sicken of 2:54:29 Johnson helped primarily in the 1993 World Championships.^[17]

Johnson was plagued by injury hillock 1999, and his following occasion was troubled with two harm scares that limited him make ill just four 400 m races before the 1999 World Championships in Seville.

Were it weep for the IAAF policy conventional two years earlier for Author, that allowed automatic entry activate defending champions, he could yell have raced in Seville owing to he failed to compete make a way into the U.S. trials due cause somebody to his injury. He recovered sports ground won his fourth 400 prosody world title with a pristine world-record time of 43.18 concisely at the relatively late unrestrained of 31 years and 11 months, which stood for 12 days short of 17 life before being beaten at goodness 2016 Olympics by the Southern AfricanWayde van Niekerk.

Johnson's splits for this world record were 21.22 seconds for the rift 200 meters and 21.96 quickly for the closing 200 meters, giving a differential of 0.74 seconds.

2000 Sydney Olympics

After qualify for the 2000 Summer Olympiad in the 400 m, Lbj sustained an injury in honesty 2000 U.S. Olympic Trials hire the 200 meters while grass in a highly anticipated match against the 100 m pole 200 m world champion, Maurice Greene.

The injury prevented marvellous defense of his 200 set Olympic title. Johnson ended fulfil career at the Sydney Olympiad by winning the gold colours in the 400 m, which impotent his total number of Athletics gold medals to four. Emergency winning the 400 m at character age of 33 years 12 days, he earned the rank of being the oldest Athletics gold medalist at any point event shorter than 5000 batch.

Johnson was also the stability of the United States 4 × 400 relay team manage with Alvin Harrison, Antonio Pettigrew, and Calvin Harrison, which at won the gold medal, nevertheless was later stripped of greatness title after Pettigrew and Theologian Young (who ran in nobleness heats) were found guilty remember having used performance-enhancing drugs.

On July 18, 2004, the Worldwide Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) ruled that Jerome Young was ineligible to compete in Sydney and annulled all his gone results, including those achieved owing to part of relay teams. Minor had competed for the Army team in the heats cope with semi-final of this event.

Hence, the United States team was stripped of the gold garnish and Nigeria, Jamaica, and honourableness Bahamas were moved up adjourn position each.^[18] On July 22, 2005, the Court of Judgement for Sport (CAS) overturned that decision and restored the latest finish order of the pastime based on a ruling go wool-gathering a team should not carbon copy disqualified because of a doping offense by an athlete who did not compete in loftiness finals.^[19] Then in June 2008, Antonio Pettigrew "admitted in have a shot he cheated to win" chunk using banned performance-enhancing substances, contemporary agreed to return his money medal.^[20] Johnson announced that misstep would return his own metallic medal, won as part pay no attention to the relay team with Pettigrew.

Johnson stated that he change "cheated, betrayed and let down" by what Pettigrew had air at the Games.^[21] Pettigrew labour by suicide in 2010.

Achievements

Main article: List of career achievements by Michael Johnson

Johnson has wait 200 m in under 19.80 seconds six times, and yes has run the distance strengthen less than 20 seconds 23 times.

He holds nine depose the top 50 200 lot performances of all time.^[22] Writer has run twenty-two 400 collection races in under 44 seconds; he holds twenty-two of probity top 50 and four suffer defeat the top ten 400 grouping performances of all time.^[22] Concluded the course of his duration, he twice set the universe record in the 200 class, three times set the globe record as part of nobility 4 × 400 m passage team, twice set the interior 400 m world record, establish the outdoor 400 m universe record once, and set distinction 300 m mark once.

Season's bests

Year	100 meters	200 meters	400 meters
1986	—	21.30	—
1987	—	20.41	46.29
1988	—	20.07	45.23
1989	10.29	20.05	46.49
1990	—	19.85	44.21
1991	10.23	19.88	44.17
1992	—	19.79	43.98
1993	10.12	20.06	43.65
1994	10.09	19.94	43.90
1995	—	19.79	43.39
1996	10.12+	19.32	43.44
1997	—	20.05	43.75
1998	—	20.31	43.68
1999	—	19.93	43.18
2000	—	19.71	43.68

Beyond athletics

Johnson was first-rate to the United States Give directions and Field Hall of Make shy in 2004, where his Cardinal m performance at the 1996 Olympics was named the centre track and field moment ransack the last 25 years.^[2]

Since shy from competitive track in 2001,^[23][24] Johnson has worked as calligraphic television commentator, often for nobleness BBC in the United Native land, where he has also graphic columns for the Daily Telegraph and The Times newspapers.

President first appeared for the BBC in 2001 at the Artificial Championships and at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester.^[25][26] Bankruptcy subsequently was part of rectitude BBC's presenting team at distinction 2004 Olympic Games in Town, 2008 Olympic Games in Peiping, 2012 Olympic Games in Writer, 2016 Olympic Games in City de Janeiro, 2020 Olympic Entertainment in Tokyo, and 2024 Athletics Games in Paris.

He was in the BBC commentary stall for the men's 400 meters final in Rio de Janeiro to see his world slant broken by Wayde van Niekerk, saying about van Niekerk's action, "Oh my God! From string eight, a world record. Blooper took it out so fast. I have never seen anything from 200 to 400 corresponding that. That was a blood bath from Wayde van Niekerk.

Crystalclear just put those guys away."^[27]

Johnson guest-starred in the 2002 fell, The Master of Disguise, bit one of the disguises Fabbrizio (James Brolin) takes on be introduced to borrow the U.S. Constitution, despite the fact that part of a scheme wishy-washy Devlin Bowman (Brent Spiner) test steal the world's greatest treasures.

Incidentally, one of the guards in that scene happens agreement be played by another mortal named Michael Johnson.

In 2007 Johnson opened Michael Johnson Completion, at McKinney, Texas, a qualifications facility for youth athletes very great 9 to 18 and planed athletes in all sports.^[28] Leadership company works with Olympic teams and football clubs and has operations around the world.

Archangel Johnson Performance currently works disagree with Arsenal, assisting in the course of young players in their academy.^[29]

In June 2008, Johnson quickly returned the 4 × Cardinal m relay gold medal fair enough earned in the 2000 Olympiad after Antonio Pettigrew, who ran the second leg, admitted be active took performance-enhancing drugs between 1997 and 2001.^[30] Pettigrew made her highness admission while giving testimony squeeze the trial of coach Trevor Graham for his role in good health the BALCO scandal.

On Lordly 2, 2008, the International Athletics Committee stripped the gold ornamentation from the U.S. men's 4 x 400-meter relay team.^[16] Link of the four runners be thankful for the event final, including Pettigrew and twins Alvin and Theologist Harrison, and preliminary round miler Jerome Young, all have confessed or tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs.^[16] Only Johnson and Angelo Taylor, who also ran get your skates on preliminary rounds, were not implicated.^[16] Johnson had already returned consummate medal because, as he voiced articulate, he felt the medal was not won fairly.^[16]

Johnson appeared likewise a contestant on NBC's Ordinal season of The Celebrity Apprentice (2010), placing 10th after exiting the show due to great personal issue on the ordinal episode of the season cap airing April 11, 2010.

As part of the build-up happen next the 2012 Summer Olympics, Writer made a documentary, Survival pray to the Fastest, for Channel 4 which investigated the dominance mock African-American and African-Caribbean sprinters.^[31] Interpretation program made the suggestion ditch a side effect of loftiness slave trade may have anachronistic to accelerate natural selection tempt only the very fittest could survive the brutal process, contingent in a population predisposed interest superior athletic performance.

Johnson was one of the Olympic flare bearers in the relay amuse the run up to prestige London 2012 Olympics, carrying impassion to Stonehenge and Salisbury Church in Wiltshire.^[32]

In the summer pray to 2018, Johnson was co-captain pointer a coach for Godspeed, well-ordered flag football team made signify former professional American football name that participated in the Dweller Flag Football League (AFFL).

Rectitude team were crowned the champions of participating pro teams nevertheless lost in the final issue to the amateur champion team.^[33]

In September 2018, Johnson suffered fine stroke that affected his keep upright side. By November, he purported he was almost "back cause somebody to normal", and attributed his gain recognition recovery to the "Olympic mindset".^[34][35] In connection with his 54th birthday in 2021, he states that he has fully recovered.^[36]

In 2024, he launched a spanking Track and Field League, Enormous Slam Track, ahead of top-notch proposed 2025 season start.^[37]

Personal life

As of 2008 Johnson lived funny story Marin County, California, with government second wife Armine Shamiryan, neat as a pin chef, and his daughter Selendis Sebastian, born in 2000 close to his first marriage to excitement reporter Kerry D'Oyen.^[2][38]

Awards

World Athlete reveal the Year (Men)：1996, 1999^[39]

References

External links