Michael Johnson
Michael Duane Johnson, born on September 13, 1967, in Dallas, Texas, is a highly celebrated former sprinter known for his remarkable achievements in track and field. He gained prominence during his high school years at Skyline High School before moving on to Baylor University, where he set records and became an All-American athlete. Johnson made history as the first athlete to be ranked number one in the world in both the 200 meters and 400 meters, achieving five NCAA titles during his collegiate career.
Johnson represented the United States in three Olympic Games, culminating in his standout performance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he won gold medals in both the 200 meters and 400 meters, breaking world records in the process. Notably, his world record in the 200 meters stood for twelve years. After retiring from competitive athletics, he transitioned into roles as a television announcer, sports agent, and performance coach, including opening the Michael Johnson Performance Center.
Additionally, Johnson has contributed to youth sports training and raised awareness about stroke risks following his own health challenges. Inducted into the US Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004, Johnson's unique running style and charismatic presence made him a significant figure in athletics and popular culture.
Michael Johnson
Sprinter
- Born: September 13, 1967
- Birthplace: Dallas, Texas
Track-and-field athlete
Johnson was deemed the best all-around sprinter of all time for his performances in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia. During his storied career, he won four Olympic gold medals and set world records in the 200 meters, 400 meters, and the 4 x 400-meter relay.
Areas of achievement: Sports: football; Sports: Olympics; Sports: track and field
Early Life
Michael Duane Johnson was born on September 13, 1967, to Paul Johnson Sr., a truck driver, and Ruby Johnson, an elementary school teacher. He grew up in Dallas, Texas, with four older siblings. In junior high, Johnson played football but gave it up to concentrate on track and field. He went on to an outstanding high school career as a sprinter at Skyline High School in Dallas, placing second in the Texas State High School Championships in the 200 meters his senior year. Johnson’s speed drew the attention of Clyde Hart, Baylor University’s track-and-field coach, who envisioned Johnson as a valuable addition to Baylor’s highly successful 4 x 400-meter relay team.
Johnson set a Baylor school record in the 200 meters with a time of 20.41 seconds in his first collegiate meet. However, a pulled hamstring cost him a majority of the season. He was able to contribute to the 4 x 400-meter relay team at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Indoor and Outdoor Championships and earn NCAA All-American honors. Johnson continued to improve his sophomore year at Baylor but had mixed results. He was an All-American again in the 4 x 400-meter relay and was ranked seventh in the United States in the 200 meters. However, he was disqualified from a 200-meter heat at the NCAA Indoor meet. As he trained for the Olympic track-and-field trials, his goal was to finish in the top three and qualify for the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. However, more bad luck struck as he developed a stress fracture in his left fibula and was unable to make the US Olympic team.
Life’s Work
Johnson continued to show his potential in his junior and senior years at Baylor, winning three NCAA championships in the 200 meters and setting an American record in the 200 meters indoors while anchoring numerous winning relay teams. He also added national championships in the United States Track and Field meets in the indoor 400 meters and outdoor 200 meters. His fast 200- and 400-meter times earned him a number-one ranking in the world in both events. By the time he graduated from Baylor with a bachelor’s degree in business, Johnson had won five NCAA titles and became the first athlete to be ranked number one in the world in both the 200 meters and 400 meters. He had achieved in one year a feat that no one else had ever accomplished in a career.
After graduation, Johnson shifted his focus to winning the 200 meters at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona, Spain. He continued to train in Waco, Texas, with Hart, who was considered one of the top 400-meter coaches in the world. With the Olympics approaching, Johnson traveled to Barcelona confident he could compete for the gold medal. However, he contracted food poisoning that caused him to lose weight and strength. With his energy levels extremely low, he failed to qualify for the 200-meter finals. Johnson was able to win a gold medal with the United States 4 x 400-meter relay team, but he was frustrated over the missed opportunity to win an individual gold.
The Olympic Games of 1996 were held on US soil in Atlanta, Georgia. This time, Johnson was the heavy favorite in 200 meters and 400 meters. At the Olympic trials, he showed he was ready by recording a world-record time of 19.66 seconds in the 200 meters. The previous record, 19.72 seconds set by Italian sprinter Pietro Mennea, had stood for seventeen years. Johnson also won the 400 meters, becoming the first athlete to win both the 200 meters and 400 meters at the US National Championships.
On July 29, 1996, Johnson started his record-breaking run by winning the 400-meter dash in 43.49 seconds, an Olympic record. Three days later on August 1, he shattered the world record in the 200 meters, recording a time of 19.32 seconds, the biggest improvement ever on a 200-meter world record and a record Johnson held for twelve years before it was broken by Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt at the 2008 Olympics with a time of 19.30 seconds.
Johnson’s track career came to a close at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. He had won gold in the 400 meters at the Olympics trials but pulled a hamstring in the 200 meters and was unable to defend his gold medal in that event. In Sydney, Johnson became the first man ever to repeat as winner of the 400 meters.
After retiring from track and field, Johnson worked as a television announcer and also as an agent for track-and-field athletes. He opened the Michael Johnson Performance Center in Dallas, Texas, where he trains professional and youth athletes in all sports. He was one of the Olympic torch bearers for the London 2012 Olympics, carrying the Olympic flame from Cathedral Green in Salisbury to Stonehenge. In 2015, Johnson began working for Arsenal to train players aged eight to eighteen in the club's youth teams. The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, saw him providing live commentary for the BBC. After suffering a stroke following a regular workout in 2018, he also began devoting time to spreading awareness about the risks of stroke, particularly as a popular figure who had been a well-trained athlete for many years.
Significance
Johnson’s style was considered unique and unorthodox. He ran upright and stiffly and took very short steps, contrary to the standard technique of using high knee lift and long strides. However, Johnson emerged as one of the biggest stars of the 1996 Olympics, especially when he donned gleaming gold shoes for his event finals. He was inducted into the US Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bibliography
Campbell, Denis. "Sprinter Michael Johnson on Recovering from a Stroke: 'I Did Feel Like, Why Did This Happen to Me?'" The Guardian, 6 May 2019, www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2019/may/06/sprinter-michael-johnson-on-recovering-from-a-stroke-i-did-feel-like-why-did-this-happen-to-me. Accessed 21 July 2021.
Gallagher, Brendan. "Usain Bolt Breaks Michael Johnson's World Record for 200m Gold." Telegraph. Telegraph Media Group, 20 Aug. 2008. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Holland, Dobie. “Michael Johnson Tells How the Legacy of Jesse Owens Inspired Him to Olympic Gold.” Jet 90. 15 (26 Aug. 1996): 52–58. Print.
Johnson, Michael. "Anatomy of a Champion: Michael Johnson on Usain Bolt." Olympic.org. IOC, 13 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.
Johnson, Michael. Slaying the Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats. New York: HarperCollins, 1997. Print.
Rosenthal, Bert. Michael Johnson: Sprinter Deluxe. St. Charles: GHB, 2000. Print.
Whaling, James. "Arsenal Working with Former Olympic Athlete Michael Johnson to Improve Young Players' Fitness." Mirror. MGN, 21 Apr. 2015. Web. 25 Apr. 2016.