Michael Johnson (sprinter) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Michael Johnson

Johnson in 2016
Personal information
Born	(1967-09-13) September 13, 1967 (age 57) Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Height	6 ft 1 in
Weight	175 lb
Sport
Sport	Track and field
Event(s)	Sprints
College team	Baylor
Achievements and titles
Personal best(s)	100 m: 10.09 (Knoxville 1994) 200 m: 19.32 (Atlanta 1996) 300 m: 30.85 NB (Pretoria 2000) 400 m: 43.18 AR NR (Sevilla 1999)
Medal record Men's athletics Representing  United States International athletics competitions Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 4 0 0 World Championships 8 0 0 Goodwill Games 4 0 0 Total 16 0 0 Olympic Games Gold 1992 Barcelona 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1996 Atlanta 200 m Gold 1996 Atlanta 400 m Gold 2000 Sydney 400 m Disqualified 2000 Sydney 4 × 400 m relay World Championships Gold 1991 Tokyo 200 m Gold 1993 Stuttgart 400 m Gold 1993 Stuttgart 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1995 Göteborg 200 m Gold 1995 Göteborg 400 m Gold 1995 Göteborg 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1997 Athens 400 m Gold 1999 Seville 400 m Goodwill Games Gold 1990 Seattle 200 m Gold 1994 Saint Petersburg 200 m Gold 1994 Saint Petersburg 4 × 400 m relay Gold 1998 New York 400 m

Michael Duane Johnson (born September 13, 1967) is a famous American sprinter. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championship gold medals during his amazing career. He set world and Olympic records in the 200-meter and 400-meter races. Many people consider him one of the greatest sprinters ever in track and field.

Johnson is the only male athlete to win both the 200 meters and 400 meters races at the same Olympics. He achieved this at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He is also the only man to win the 400-meter Olympic title twice in a row. He did this at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Besides his Olympic wins, Johnson earned eight gold medals at the World Championships. He is tied with Carl Lewis for the fourth most gold medals won by a runner.

Johnson had a unique running style. He ran very upright with short steps. This was different from what most people thought was needed for top speed. As of July 2025, Johnson still holds many of the fastest times for the 200 meters and 400 meters. He ran the 400 meters in under 44 seconds 22 times. This is more than twice as often as any other athlete.

Johnson held the U.S. national records for the 200, 300, and 400 meters. He also helped set the 4 × 400 meters relay world record. Since 2001, Johnson has worked as a sports expert for the BBC. He has covered many Olympic athletics events.

Michael Johnson's Career Highlights

Early Wins (1991–1995)

In 1991, Johnson won his first world title at the 1991 World Championships in Athletics in Tokyo. He won the 200-meter race by a large amount.

Before the 1992 Summer Olympics, Johnson got sick. He was expected to win the 200 meters, but he did not make it to the final. However, he was part of the 4 × 400-meter relay team. They won a gold medal and set a new world record.

In 1993, he won the U.S. title in the 400 meters. He then won world titles in both the 400 meters and the 4 × 400-meter relay. His part of the relay race was the fastest 400 meters ever run in a relay. At the 1995 World Championships in Athletics in Gothenburg, Johnson won both the 200 meters and 400 meters. No other top male runner had done this in a major competition in the 20th century. He also won another gold in the 4 × 400-meter relay.

Atlanta Olympics (1996)

In June 1996, Johnson broke the 200-meter world record at the U.S. Olympic Trials. He ran it in 19.66 seconds. This qualified him for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. He planned to try and win both the 200 meters and 400 meters. No male athlete had ever done this before.

Johnson wore special golden Nike running shoes for the Olympic finals. This earned him the nickname "The Man With the Golden Shoes." The shoes were very light. One shoe was a bit larger to fit his right foot.

On July 29, Johnson easily won the 400-meter Olympic title. He set an Olympic record of 43.49 seconds. On August 1, in the 200-meter final, Johnson set a new world record of 19.32 seconds. This was a huge improvement on his own record. Some people compared it to Bob Beamon's amazing long jump record in 1968. During the race, Johnson hurt a muscle. This stopped him from running in the 4 × 400-meter relay. However, Team USA still won the gold medal without him.

After the 1996 season, Johnson received several awards. He also published a book called Slaying the Dragon: How to Turn Your Small Steps to Great Feats.

Rivalry and Records (1997–1999)

Johnson's gold spikes

After the 1996 Olympics, some people debated if Johnson or 100-meter gold medalist Donovan Bailey was the "World's Fastest Man." This led to a special 150-meter race between them. Bailey won the race after Johnson got a leg injury.

After recovering, Johnson competed for his third 400-meter world title. The IAAF allowed him to compete even though he couldn't qualify in the usual way due to his injury. He won the 400 meters at the 1997 World Championships in Athletics in Athens.

At the 1998 Goodwill Games, Johnson helped the U.S. 4 × 400-meter relay team win. They set a world record. However, some team members later admitted to using banned substances. Because of this, the world record was later removed.

Johnson had more injuries in 1999. This limited his races before the 1999 World Championships in Athletics in Seville. Thanks to the IAAF rule, he was still able to race. He recovered and won his fourth 400-meter world title. He set a new world record of 43.18 seconds. This record stood for almost 17 years.

Sydney Olympics and Retirement (2000)

Johnson qualified for the 2000 Summer Olympics in the 400 meters. However, he got injured during the U.S. Olympic Trials for the 200 meters. This meant he could not defend his 200-meter Olympic title. Johnson finished his career at the Sydney Olympics by winning the gold medal in the 400 meters. This brought his total Olympic gold medals to four. At 33 years old, he became the oldest Olympic gold medalist in a track event shorter than 5000 meters.

Johnson was also part of the United States 4 × 400-meter relay team. They originally won the gold medal. However, the team was later stripped of the title. This happened because some team members were found to have used performance-enhancing drugs. Johnson decided to return his own gold medal. He said he felt "cheated, betrayed and let down" by what had happened.

Amazing Achievements

Johnson ran the 200 meters in under 19.80 seconds six times. He ran it in less than 20 seconds twenty-three times. He holds many of the fastest 200-meter performances ever. Johnson ran twenty-two 400-meter races in under 44 seconds. He holds many of the top 400-meter performances of all time. During his career, he set the world record in the 200 meters twice. He set the world record as part of the 4 × 400-meter relay team three times. He also set the indoor 400-meter world record twice and the outdoor 400-meter world record once. He also set the 300-meter mark once.

Best Times Each Year

Life After Running

In 2004, Johnson was chosen for the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame. His 200-meter race at the 1996 Olympics was called the greatest track and field moment of the last 25 years.

Since he stopped competing in 2001, Johnson has worked as a TV commentator. He often works for the BBC in the United Kingdom. He has also written for newspapers. Johnson has been part of the BBC's Olympic coverage since the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens. He has also covered many Commonwealth Games. In 2016, he was in the BBC commentary booth when his 400-meter world record was broken by Wayde van Niekerk. He was very excited about van Niekerk's amazing performance.

In 2002, Johnson had a guest role in the movie The Master of Disguise. In 2007, Johnson opened Michael Johnson Performance in McKinney, Texas. This is a training center for young athletes and professional athletes. The company works with Olympic teams and football clubs around the world. They even work with Arsenal to help train young players.

In June 2008, Johnson gave back his 4 × 400-meter relay gold medal from the 2000 Olympics. This was because a teammate admitted to using banned substances. On August 2, 2008, the International Olympic Committee took away the gold medal from the U.S. men's 4 × 400-meter relay team. Johnson had already returned his medal because he felt it was not won fairly.

Johnson appeared on the TV show The Celebrity Apprentice in 2010. He left the show early due to a personal reason.

Before the 2012 Summer Olympics, Johnson made a documentary called Survival of the Fastest for Channel 4. This program looked into why sprinters from African-American and African-Caribbean backgrounds are so dominant.

Johnson was one of the people who carried the Olympic torch for the London 2012 Olympics. He carried it to famous places like Stonehenge.

In 2018, Johnson was a coach for a flag football team called Godspeed. This team was made up of former professional American football players. They won the championship for pro teams but lost in the final match.

In September 2018, Johnson had a stroke that affected his left side. By November, he said he was almost back to normal. He believed his "Olympic mindset" helped him recover. In 2021, he stated he had fully recovered.

In 2024, he started a new Track and Field League called Grand Slam Track. It is set to begin in 2025.

Personal Life

As of 2008, Johnson lived in Marin County, California. He lives with his second wife, Armine Shamiryan, who is a chef. He also has a daughter named Selendis Sebastian, born in 2000 from his first marriage.

Awards and Recognition

• World Athletics Awards
  • World Athlete of the Year (Men)：1996, 1999

Interesting Facts About Michael Johnson

• Michael Johnson is the only male athlete ever to win both the 200-meter and 400-meter races at the same Olympics. He did this at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.
• He is also the only man to win the Olympic 400-meter title twice in a row. He did this at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
• Besides his Olympic success, Michael won eight gold medals at the World Championships. He is tied with Carl Lewis for the fourth most gold medals won by a runner.
• Michael held the U.S. national records for the 200, 300, and 400 meters.
• He was elected to the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004. His 200-meter race at the 1996 Olympics was called the greatest track and field moment of the last 25 years.
• Michael was an Olympic torch bearer for the London 2012 Olympics. He carried the torch to Stonehenge and Salisbury Cathedral.
• In 2008, Michael returned his 4 × 400-meter relay gold medal from the 2000 Olympics. This was because a teammate admitted to using banned substances. Michael said he felt the medal was not won fairly.

Michael Johnson Quotes

• “As strong as my legs are, it is my mind that has made me a champion.”
• “Life is often compared to a marathon, but I think it is more like being a sprinter; long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best.”
• “Be who you are in every situation.”
• “You learn as much from those who have failed as from those who have succeeded.”
• “The basis of self-discipline: Don’t allow the edges to blur.”

See also

In Spanish: Michael Johnson (atleta) para niños