Michael Johnson and Denise Lewis discuss Gabby Thomas

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The American former 200 and 400 metre sprinter, 53, has returned to television screens for the BBC’s coverage of the Olympic Games. The four-time gold medal winner is an athletics pundit for the 2020 Games in Tokyo, which were delayed from last year due to COVID-19. During his own era on the track, the sporting legend broke several world records, including in Atalanta where he famously became the first athlete to win gold in both the 200 metre and 400 metre.

The sprinter clocked a time of 19.32 seconds in the 200 metre, breaking his own world record of 19.66, seconds, which he had set six weeks earlier at the Olympic trials.

However, between Michael’s record-breaking achievements he suffered a shock loss, which he opened up about as he announced his retirement in 2001.

An unearthed report of his retirement press conference in London reveals that Michael thought he was invincible.

He said: “This is my final season, I am retiring, I will be going on a farewell tour—and I am not going to the World Championships.

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“During all my career, whenever I went to the start line feeling healthy, I never thought I would lose.

“I was only beaten once thinking like that, by Frankie Fredericks over 200m in Oslo in 1996.

“Frankie was the athlete who gave me the most trouble during my career but once I have retired, the 400 metre will become more open and it will be one of the most exciting events in the world.”

In between his 200 metre world records in the summer of 1996, the US athlete suffered his first loss in a final in two years as he was beaten in the 200 metre by Namibia’s Frankie Fredericks.

The unexpected result came in the Bislett Games in Oslo just two weeks before the Atlanta Olympics.

Less than four weeks after the Atlanta Games, Frankie then did the double over his rival, beating him at the Internationales Stadionfest track and field meet in Berlin.

He said: “It isn’t fun for me to be beaten by Michael every time. Atlanta is now past and I am curious what the future is going to bring.”

Michael told reporters at his retirement that it had been a “fantastic career” but that there were no longer targets he could reach in the sport.

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He continued: “I am going to spend the year going back to some of favourite places and be able to sign autographs, have pictures taken and interact with the crowd.

“Often, when I am warming up and don’t sign, it is not that I have not wanted to, just that I am preparing for a race. Now I will have the time.”

Michael had five Olympic gold medals to his name after representing his country at the Games in Barcelona in 1992, Atlanta in 1996, and Sydney in 2000.

However, he eventually voluntarily handed back his final gong, won in the 4 x 400 metre at the Sydney Games, after Team USA became engulfed in a drug scandal.

Michael was applauded for giving up his gold, which he said had been “tainted” and made “dirty” after it emerged his relay teammates had used performance-enhancing substances.

A year after his retirement he took up a punditry role at the BBC and his since remained at the forefront of the broadcaster’s athletics coverage.
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