Patrick Johnson (sprinter) facts for kids
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Nationality |  Australia |
| Born | 26 September 1972 (age 52) Cairns, Queensland, Australia |
| Height | 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in) |
| Weight | 73 kg (161 lb) |
| Sport | |
| Sport | Track and field |
| Event(s) | 100 metres, 200 metres |
| Achievements and titles | |
| Personal best(s) | 100 m: 9.93 (Mito 2003) AR 200 m: 20.35 (Malmö 2006) |
Patrick Johnson is a famous Australian athlete. He was born on September 26, 1972, in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. Patrick is known for being a very fast runner. He has both Aboriginal and Irish family roots.
Patrick holds the record for the fastest 100-meter sprint in Oceania and Australia. He ran it in an amazing 9.93 seconds. He achieved this speed in Mito, Japan, on May 5, 2003. This made him the first person not of African background to run the 100 meters in under 10 seconds. At that time, he was the 17th fastest man in history. He was also considered the fastest man of non-African descent for many years.
Patrick competed in the Olympic Games in 2000. He reached the finals in both the 100 and 200 meters at the 2006 Commonwealth Games. He also made it to the 200-meter final at the 2005 World Championships, finishing 6th. He won one medal at the Commonwealth Games. It was a bronze medal in the 4 × 100 meters relay at the 2002 Commonwealth Games.
Patrick's Early Life and Career
Patrick Johnson's mother was from the Kaanju Aboriginal people. His father was of Irish descent. Patrick had a very unique start to life. He was born on a speed boat while his mother was on her way to a hospital in Cairns.
Sadly, his mother passed away when he was young. Patrick grew up on his father's boat, which was used for catching mackerel. He spent his childhood traveling along the coast of Cape York with his brothers and sisters.
Patrick discovered his amazing running talent by chance. He entered a 100-meter race in Queensland when he was in his early twenties. His speed was clear, and he later earned a scholarship. This scholarship allowed him to train at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra.
Because he started his athletics career a bit later, it was shorter than some other athletes. After his running career, Patrick worked in different fields. He worked for the Australian diplomatic service. He also worked in Indigenous health, helping Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
In 2018, Patrick shared his life story in a book. He wrote a chapter called 'My Life's Voyage'. This chapter was part of a book called Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia. The book was put together by Anita Heiss.
Patrick's Best Running Times
Patrick Johnson achieved some incredible speeds during his career. These are his personal best times in different races:
| Event | Time | Wind | Venue | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Outdoor | |||||
| 100 m | 9.93 s | +1.8 m/s | Mito, Japan | 5 May 2003 | Oceanian record |
| 200 m | 20.35 s | +1.0 m/s | Malmö, Sweden | 22 August 2006 | |
| Indoor | |||||
| 60 m | 6.69 s | Lisbon, Portugal | 11 March 2001 | ||
