"Will never forget this moment!" - Michael Johnson revisits his first Olympics in Barcelona 1992

Modified Mar 13, 2024 11:31 GMT

Michael Johnson took to Twitter to share a memory from his first Olympics. The athlete competed in his first Olympics at Barcelona in 1992.

Michael Johson posted a video exhibiting the most iconic Olympic moment of cauldron lightning from the opening ceremony of the games. He mentioned it was his first Olympics and it was remarkable.

"My first Olympics. Will never forget this moment!" he wrote.

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The retired sprinter has had an extraordinary Olympic journey. He won four Olympic gold medals. In his Olympic debut at Barcelona, he won gold in the 4x400m relay. He ran his lap in 44.73 seconds.

In the 1996 Olympics held in Atlanta, the sprinter won two gold medals in the 200m and 400m events. During this Olympics, the sprinter donned a distinguishable pair of golden spikes. He was later nicknamed "The Man With the Golden Shoes". In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, he won a gold medal in the 400m.

Along with his stunning Olympic career, the American sprinter made his mark at the World Championships. He has won eight gold medals at the Championships. These include one gold in the 1991 Tokyo World Championship, two in the 1993 Stuttgart World Championship, three in the 1995 Goteborg Championship, One in Athens in 1997, and one in Seville in 1999.

His consistent performances also led him to create numerous world records. He held both World and Olympic records in the 200m, 400m, and indoor 400m, too. At the 1999 World Championship in Seville, he created a world record in the 400m with a time of 43.18 seconds when he was 31 years and 11 months old. This record was broken after 17 years in 2016 by Wayde van Niekerk.

The rivalry between Michael Johnson and Donovan Bailey

Michael Johnson at the Challenge of Champions at Skydome in Toronto, Canada

The Bailey-Johnson rivalry was one of the most looked upon events. In 1996, after the Atlanta Olympics, American Sportscaster stated that Michael Johnson's 200m performance with a time of 19.32 seconds was faster than Canada's Donovan Bailey's 100m with a time of 9.84 seconds. This raised a huge debate as to who was the fastest between them.

On June 1, 1997, a 150m race was held between the two athletes at Skydome in Toronto, Canada, to decide who was the "World's Fastest Man". The race was won by Donovan Bailey as Michael Johnson did not finish the race. At the 110m mark, the American had to pull out on account of an injury. The race was attended by approximately 30,000 spectators and was broadcasted around 54 countries.

Given the result of this race, the American nonetheless has had a legendary career.