NEWS
OTHER SPORTS
DIARY
PEOPLE
MATCH REPORTS
SLIDE SHOW
ARCHIVES

The can do, will do man

Gene Cherry in Seville

After a summer of doubt, the clouds have lifted from Michael Johnson's life.

Last night, Johnson finally bettered Butch Reynolds's 11-year-old 400 metres record when he clocked 43.18 seconds ih the world championships' final.

''This is fun,'' the American said.

The summer leading up to his triumph had been anything but fun for Johnson, both physically and mentally.

The 31-year-old had known for a long time that when the conditions were right he could erase Reynolds's 1988 run of 43.29 seconds from the record books, just as he had smashed the world 200 metres record in 1996.

Yet, the number of doubters swelled with each injury, especially this year.

They were ready to criticise when he pulled out of a 200 showdown with 100 world record holder Maurice Greene at the US Championships because of injury and failed to finish a 400 metres in Stockholm.

''It was not fun,'' Johnson said. ''I have always said, when it was not fun, I won't do it anymore. So there were some serious doubts for me for a while there.

''Do I want to keep doing this, because it was not fun anymore?''

Yet Johnson has always had supreme confidence in his ability. At each low point, his long-time coach Clyde Hart reminded him of the goal for the year -- breaking the world record.

Finally, about two weeks ago, Johnson knew he was ready to take away Reynolds's record.

''He did a workout, and blew the top off of it,'' Hart said.

This month's Zurich's Grand Prix, the most lucrative meeting in the sport, was missed in favour of more training. Johnson had a higher goal. He was now ready for the ultimate challenge.

A sub-44 run in the semifinals while slowing down more than 70 metres from the finish confirmed he was ready. Only proper execution in the final remained.

He passed his 100 metre checkpoints in exactly the right time, said Hart. ''The record had to be gotten by breaking 12 (seconds) coming in (the last 100 metres) and he ran 11.7.''

Johnson's career was complete.

He has said many times that after his 200-400 double in Atlanta he was happy with his time in athletics.

Yet it was obvious that he had wanted the 400 record and, when healthy, he kept attacking it.

A world title at the 1995 world championships in Gothenburg confirmed his ability. Then the leg injuries of 1997 and 1998 struck, delaying his quest to become the double world record holder.

''I would compare this to my 19.66 (his first 200 world record) at the (1996 US) trials,'' Johnson said. ''I can do better, but it's a world record.''

A sub-43 performance will be the next goal, Johnson said with a smile as he looked forward to next year's Olympics.

''The pressure for Sydney is off,'' he said.

And to add a touch of icing to it Johnson also equalled Carl Lewis' record of 8 world titles -- and said he was hungry for more.

He can break the record if he can anchor the US 4x400 metres relay squad to victory on Sunday.

''It would be much better to be the only one (with nine titles),'' he said. ''I am looking forward to the relay for that reason.''

The split times for each 100 metres of the race proved astonishing reading.

Johnson's coach gave the times for the 100, 200 and 300 marks as 10.9, 21.0 and 31.3.

Johnson's first 200 was only about a second slower than the personal best of some of the athletes who will compete in the men's 200 metres final today.

''That was the key,'' Johnson said. ''When I got to 200 I knew I had executed pretty well...I have got a lot more than I ever thought I could get out of this sport. Whatever I get from here on is gravy.''