"Spent the next four years trying to shave that .10 off my best" - Michael Johnson reflects on efforts to etch his name in history with iconic 400m WR

By Animesh Pandey

Modified Aug 27, 2024 05:48 GMT

Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters to have graced the domain of track and field. He is best known for his former world record of 43.18 seconds, which stood for 17 years until a South African sprinter Wayde van Niekerk broke it at the Rio Olympics in 2016.

Recently, World Athletics shared an article about Johnson's iconic achievements on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of this event. On their X account [formerly Twitter], World Athletics wrote,

"25 years ago, Michael Johnson [@MJGold] settled into his blocks at the World Championships in Seville, not just aiming for gold but for history. He broke the 400m world record with a blazing 43.18, cementing his legacy as one of the greatest sprinters ever."

Michael Johnson retweeted the post and revealed that the journey was far from a cakewalk. In his post, Johnson wrote,

"I just missed the WR at the '95 World Champs. Spent the next four years trying to shave that .10 off my best. One of the most difficult things as a sprinter is the balance of pushing the limits daily while trying to protect a 30 year old body! Finally, 43.18 WR just 3 weeks shy of my 32nd birthday!"

On 26 August 1999, at the finals of the 400m event at the IAAF World Championships, Michael Johnson broke the 11-year-old world record of 43.29 seconds, created by compatriot Butch Reynolds a couple of months before the Seoul Olympics in 1988. Johnson clocked a record-breaking 43.18, becoming the first American to break the world records in both 200m and 400m in less than four years.

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Michael Johnson's best career performances

Michael Johnson reacts after winning the 200m event at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 [Image Source: Getty]

Michael Johnson's tryst with breaking world records began in 1992 when he was a part of the American team which broke the world record in the men's 4x400m relay finals at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992.

This was even more special for the athlete, because he had just recovered from a severe bout of food poisoning, which had reduced his strength and weight, and made him miss out on a debut medal in the men's 200m event, as well as the 400m event.

Since then, Michael Johnson never looked back. He further contributed to another world record in 1993, when the American quartet of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, and Michael Johnson broke their own world record in the men's 4x400m relay at the World Championships held in Stuttgart, clocking 2 minutes, 54.29 seconds overall, which stands even today. Johnson also won his first gold medal in the 400m event, with an overall timing of 43.65 seconds, a new Championship record.

At the 1995 World Championships, Johnson went out all guns blazing. He won three gold medals in 200m, 400m, as well as the 4x400m relay event. It was at this World Championships, that Michael Johnson almost broke the world record with a timing of 43.39 seconds. Interestingly, he had defeated the world record holder in his pursuit of the gold medal. Reynolds came seconds with a timing of 44.13 seconds.

However, the best from Michael Johnson was yet to come. At the Atlanta Olympics, he broke the world record in the men's 200m, clocking a whopping 19.32 seconds to win the Olympic gold medal. The record stood for 12 years until Usain Bolt broke it by clocking 19.30 seconds at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. Johnson also won the gold medal in the 400m event with a new Olympic record of 43.49 seconds, before finally breaking the world record in the 1999 World Championships.