Hurdler Johnson hangs up his boots
Source: Agencies |
July 12, 2010, Monday
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Print Edition
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FOUR-TIME world champion and 1996 Olympic gold medalist Allen Johnson called an end to his sprint hurdling career after years of defying his age in one of track's most demanding disciplines.
Johnson, who ended Briton Colin Jackson's run of 44 consecutive sprint hurdles victories in 1995, said his 39-year-old body would not allow him to continue competing in the sport he dearly loved.
"It's just come to the point where my body can't take it any more," Johnson told the crowd at the Diamond League meeting in Gateshead in a trackside interview.
"Allen embodies all the qualities you could ask for from a champion. Above all, he conducted himself with class, on and off the track," said USA Track and Field chief Doug Logan.
Johnson, who in 2008 won silver over 60 meters at the world indoor championships in Valencia, had time and again battled back from injury to return to competition.
"My daughter was almost four years old when I won in Atlanta in 1996, now she is graduating high school," Johnson said last month.
"The thing about getting older is the injuries," said Johnson, who set his personal best of 12.92 seconds in 1996. You just get injured more often. You take time off, you come back, you get injured again and you never get in shape."
Johnson won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in Barcelona and the 110m gold in the Gothenburg world championships the same year. He went on to win Olympic gold after missing the world record by a hundredth of a second at national trials. He followed up with another high hurdles gold at the 1997 world championships in Athens before injuries set him back in 1999 and in 2000. But Johnson returned to his best at the 2001 and 2003 world outdoor championships in Edmonton and Paris, claiming his third and fourth world titles.
"Maybe I can coach some hurdlers or some sprinters ... give something back," he said. "I'm going to miss it, I really am, but it was fun."
Johnson, who ended Briton Colin Jackson's run of 44 consecutive sprint hurdles victories in 1995, said his 39-year-old body would not allow him to continue competing in the sport he dearly loved.
"It's just come to the point where my body can't take it any more," Johnson told the crowd at the Diamond League meeting in Gateshead in a trackside interview.
"Allen embodies all the qualities you could ask for from a champion. Above all, he conducted himself with class, on and off the track," said USA Track and Field chief Doug Logan.
Johnson, who in 2008 won silver over 60 meters at the world indoor championships in Valencia, had time and again battled back from injury to return to competition.
"My daughter was almost four years old when I won in Atlanta in 1996, now she is graduating high school," Johnson said last month.
"The thing about getting older is the injuries," said Johnson, who set his personal best of 12.92 seconds in 1996. You just get injured more often. You take time off, you come back, you get injured again and you never get in shape."
Johnson won the world indoor 60m hurdles title in Barcelona and the 110m gold in the Gothenburg world championships the same year. He went on to win Olympic gold after missing the world record by a hundredth of a second at national trials. He followed up with another high hurdles gold at the 1997 world championships in Athens before injuries set him back in 1999 and in 2000. But Johnson returned to his best at the 2001 and 2003 world outdoor championships in Edmonton and Paris, claiming his third and fourth world titles.
"Maybe I can coach some hurdlers or some sprinters ... give something back," he said. "I'm going to miss it, I really am, but it was fun."
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