Shamed Johnson had world at his feet

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 32

Shamed Johnson had world at his feet

NZPA-Reuter Seoul Ben Johnson was at the pinnacle of his athletics career on Saturday after winning the Olympic 100 metres crown in world record time. • Four days later he stands disgraced after a positive dope test. The 26-year-old Canadian, the most powerful sprinter the world has seen, was stripped of his title and disqualified from the Games by the International Olympic Committee yesterday after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. The remarkable 9.79 seconds he ran in capturing the coveted gold has been scrubbed from the world record listings although his 9.83 clocking in the world championships last year still stands as a record. Johnson also faces a life ban by the International Amateur Athletic Federation (1.A.A.F.) for the offence — a punishment likely to cost him millions of dollars in appearance money, endorsements and advertising. Fingers splayed and outstretched and muscles bulging to bursting point, Johnson in full flight is a breathtaking sight. His trademark is an

explosive start built on an astonishingly quick reaction time to the starter’s gun which guarantees, him a healthy halfway lead rarely surrendered.

Johnson has been nurtured over an 11-year period, by his coach, Charlie Francis, and his path to the top skilfully plotted. The Canadian, 100 metres bronze medallist behind Carl Lewis in the Los Angeles Games four years ago, unleashed his blazing talent on the world on August 30 last year when he dismantled the world record in winning gold at the Rome world championships. The triumph relieved Lewis of the world title and prompted the American to make allegations of drug abuse in the sport, although he did not mention the Canadian by name. “I don’t think it’s for me to point the finger or stab at one person in particular,” Lewis said at the time. He added: “I feel a strange air at these championships. A lot of people have come from nowhere and are running unbelievably.” Injured for three months this year and looking well below his

best in two European outings last month, Johnson appeared to struggle through the heats in Seoul. His world recordshattering performance to grab such an emphatic victory was regarded by some as a surprise. Born in Falmouth, Jamaica, on December 30, 1961, Johnson arrived in Canada as a scrawny 15-year-old barely capable of one lap of the track.

When his father took a dislike to the Canadian cold and returned to his Caribbean home, Johnson remained with his mother Gloria, four sisters and brother in Toronto. As a child, Johnson idolised his elder brother Edward and mimicked his stutter. Today his Baptist brother preaching in the United States has lost his speech impediment but the sprinter continues to stumble over words. It was Edward who introduced Johnson to the York University Optimists athletics club and Mr Francis in 1977. Under the coach’s guidance, Johnson blossomed into an- impressive 1.80 metretall, 75kg athlete. As the spindly youth grew into a muscular master of speed, so the

performances improved. The Commonwealth Games silver medallist in 1982, Johnson reached the semi-finals of the inaugural world championships in 1983 and took sixth place in the PanAmerican Games final of that year. His big breakthrough came in 1984 when his bronze made him the first Canadian athetics medallist at an Olympics for 20 years. From then on Johnson set his sights on displacing Lewis as the world No. 1. He beat the American in Zurich and won the World Cup title in Canberra but it was not enough to take him to top of the world rankings. That came the following year when Johnson scored three wins over Lewis, including a brilliant triumph at the Goodwill Games in Moscow when he ran 9.95 seconds — then the fastest time recorded at sea level and equal to the second fastest ever. Johnson’s love of speed is not confined to the running track. He has five cars, including a $250,000 Ferrari and a Porsche, and is currently building a Tudor-style home for his family outside Toronto.