Michael Johnson - The Greatest Sportsperson Ever

MICHAEL Johnson sums up everything a sporting hero should be. A record-breaker. A role model. A revolutionary.

He achieved extraordinary feats in a ground-breaking way. Nobody ran 200 metres and 400m; Johnson was ranked number one in the world at both distances four times. Johnson won Gold at both events in the same Olympics.

The man in the golden shoes also won an incredible nine World Championship Gold medals, the most in history. At Seville 1999, he broke the 400m World Record. At Gothenburg 1995, he won nine races in nine days to win Gold at 200m, 400m and 4 x 400m relay. Winning 58 consecutive 400m Finals over eight years confirmed his domination.

His unique running style captured the imagination of the world. “He runs like a statue” said coach Clyde Hart. With upright back and high knees, Johnson was nicknamed ‘The Duck.’ Five Olympic Gold medals later, the nickname had changed to ‘Superman’, such was his invincibility.

When questioned about his innovative method, Johnson stated "If I ran like all the other runners, I would be back there with them." The ultimate testiment to Johnson is his lack of imitators – everybody admired him but nobody could reproduce his pioneering technique. The one of a kind cliché was created to describe Johnson.

Although obviously blessed with supreme natural talent, the Dallas native was no cowboy – his preparation and focus was so meticulous that error was never allowed to creep into his performance. A model professional, he was never involved in any scandal. “There is nothing controllable that he will fail to control," wrote Sports Illustrated’s Gary Smith. “He is the tortoise and the hare.”

Since retiring Johnson works as a fitness consultant, even managing to get Andy Murray fit - a truly impressive achievement.

However, the moment he broke the 200m record at the 1996 Olympics defines Johnson as an athlete and a character. He ran 19.32 seconds, breaking his own World Record by 0.34 seconds.

The magnitude of this time is difficult to comprehend. Sprinting records are broke minor decimals, not bettered by over one third of a second. Many compare the event to Bob Beamon’s record long jump in 1968; such was the enormity of the improvement.

The US Track and Field Hall of Fame voted the achievement the greatest for a quarter of a century. Fellow sprinter Ato Bolden gasped, “19.32? That’s not a time, that sounds more like my dad’s birthday!”

This wasn’t merely winning; it was dominating, destroying all opposition. “The only one who can beat me is me,” admitted Johnson. Unbeatable and incomparable, he is the greatest sportsperson ever.

Greg Rose