Michael Johnson: biography and achievements of the great athlete

If this athlete was chosen by trainers in the technique of running, he would not pass a single selection. Although the speed of movement, he was much faster than their peers and not only. His world achievement of 200 meters managed to beat only Usain Bolt (Jamaica) in 2008 at the Olympic Games in Beijing. And his gold 400-meter stayed until 2016, while in Rio de Janeiro athlete from South Africa, Vaide van Nierkerk did not improve this achievement by 15 hundredths of a second.

So, who are we talking about? It's all known Michael Johnson, an athlete from America. The style of his running still surprises analysts (the torso at the run is turned back and the steps are not very long), many still do not understand how with this style it was possible to run, not to mention the establishment of world achievements. But still the fact remains a fact, despite repeated reproaches of the athlete's technique.

Facts from biography

Michael Johnson was born on September 13, 1967 in Dallas (Texas, USA). He was the youngest of five children in the family. His father was a simple truck driver, and his mother was a teacher at a local school. As a child, Michael Johnson wore large black-rimmed glasses, attended extra classes for gifted children and dreamed of becoming an architect. He was teased with a "botanist" and humiliated for avoiding team sports. But in the running disciplines for short and medium distances, he was not equal not only among peers, but also among the senior runners.

The first steps in big sports

After another won two hundred meters in district competitions, Michael caught the eye of the legendary coach Clyde Hart, who appreciated his intelligence, character and diligence. So began serious training and training in high school in Baylor. In 1986, Michael Johnson in the 200 meters race set a national record among high schools - 20.41 seconds. This gave him the right to speak at the Olympic Games in Seoul in 1988, but because of the injury he had to miss this grandiose event.

Sports achivments

In 1990, Michael Johnson graduated with honors from the University of Baylor and won a 200-meter mark (20.54 seconds) at the Goodwill Games in Seattle (USA). The following year, he won at his first World Athletics Championships all on the same distance - 200 meters (20.01 seconds) in Tokyo (Japan). And here came the second Olympics in the career of Michael - 1992, Barcelona (Spain). But even here there were incidents. After receiving food poisoning, Michael Johnson was unable to complete the competition in his then-crowned 200-meter mark. But having had time to recover and gain strength, Michael still took Olympic gold in the relay 4x400 meters.

In 1993, after winning the 400-meter distance, at the national championship in Eugene Michael went to the next world championships in Stuttgart (Germany). There he again received gold on the 400-meter (43.65 seconds) and in the relay four to four hundred meters. Michael Johnson with the team set a world record - 2 minutes 54.29 seconds. And the athlete on his winning circle in this relay race showed the best result in the history of running one round in the stadium - 42.94 seconds! No one in history has been able to do this. In 1994, he won all his starts at the 400-meter mark. He even set his personal record for 100 meters - 10.09 seconds. After winning the Goodwill Games in St. Petersburg for 200 meters and in the relay 4x400 meters was awarded the Jesse Owens (twice in his career).

The 1995 season was full of regular achievements. Having won all medals at 200, 400, 4x400 meters at the national championship in Sacramento, Michael Johnson, repeating the same thing at the World Championships in Gothenburg (Sweden), was already approaching world records at these distances. On two hundred meters, Michael did not have enough speed, he ran for 19.79 seconds (world achievement - 19.72 seconds - at that time it was set by the Italian Pietro Menea in Mexico City in 1979). Before the record for 400 meters, there was also a little - only 1 tenth of a second. Michael Johnson, a sprinter with unusual technique, ran them for 43.39 seconds (world record at this distance was a fellow countryman from the United States, Batcha Reynolds, - 43.29 seconds). And here are the legendary 1996 Olympics at home - in Atlanta, USA.

The IAAF made a petition to the Olympic Committee so that under Michael Johnson they specially made the races so that he could restore strength between the 200 and 400 meter distances. The organizers agreed to these conditions, and not for nothing. Michael Johnson, an international runner, won both of these distances, and set a world record for the second hundredth time (second time in a year) - 19.32 seconds. And in 1999 in Seville (Spain) at the World Championships, Michael finally outperformed and a record of 400 meters - 43.18 seconds. At this distance, Michael won more than 50 wins in a row! Also in 2000, in Sydney, he took two golds - 400 and in the relay 4x400 meters, and finished his sports megakaryeru.

Life of the legendary athlete today

Now Michael Johnson lives in California with his wife and two children. Commented on competitions in track and field athletics on television. He is the curator of young athletes and the owner of his company in the field of sports management. In the history of sports, his achievements will be remembered for a long time by both sportsmen and numerous fans.