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Monday, September 25
Johnson cruises to big win in 43.84
Associated Press
SYDNEY, Australia -- Michael Johnson has known only one
color in major international championships -- gold.
Johnson became the first man to repeat as an Olympic 400-meter
champion with a wire-to-wire triumph Monday night in 43.84
seconds, 0.56 seconds ahead of teammate Alvin Harrison.
|  | | Michael Johnson's style of running straight up helped the U.S. to its ninth 1-2 finish in the 400 meters at the Olympics.
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"You know how I feel about making history," Johnson said,
"and to be able to do that and end my Olympic career like that is
a dream come true."
It was the ninth time the United States has gone 1-2 in the
event, and third in the last four Olympics.
When the race was over, the scene was far less emotional than
the one that followed Johnson's world-record triumph in the 200
meters four years ago in the Atlanta Games. That victory, in an
incredible 19.32 seconds, made him the first man to win the 200 and
400 in the same Olympics.
Johnson has won four Olympic medals and nine more in the world
championships -- all of them gold.
"I didn't want my last Olympic race to be a bronze or a silver
or anything but gold," he said. "That was the big motivator that
I was thinking about all day today was just basically keeping my
reputation intact."
In his trademark style of running standing virtually straight
up, a la Jesse Owens, Johnson never was seriously challenged.
"It was tough. Harrison was running well and I didn't draw a
very good lane," Johnson said. "Basically, I had to go in there
and tell myself just do what I've been doing for the last 10 years, not worry about what's going on behind me
and just run the race I knew I could run."
He said he didn't go out as fast as he normally would because he
was out in lane six and wouldn't be able to see his toughest
competitors as they rounded the turns.
"I just held a little bit for the end in case I'd have some
trouble," he said.
When it was over, Johnson raised his arms in triumph. But there
was no throwing the shoes into the crowd, as he has done before.
These shoes have droplets of gold in them. He would keep them.
After all, they matched all of his medals.
Johnson and Harrison each grabbed American flags and paraded
with them together around the track.
On the medal stand, there was just that big, bright smile that
Johnson saves for such occasions.
His individual Olympic career is over, but he has one more race
to run in Sydney -- the anchor leg of the 1,600 meters Saturday.
He will finish with the same race in which he won his first Olympic
gold eight years ago in Barcelona.
"The relay has always been fun," he said, "but I think this
race knowing it will be my last Olympic race ever and having some
good guys to run it with, it will be good just to really enjoy the
moment."
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