Michael Duane Johnson, a renowned retired American sprinter, was born on September 13, 1967. Throughout his illustrious career, he accumulated an impressive array of accolades, including four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals.
Johnson's remarkable achievements extended beyond his Olympic triumphs, as he also held numerous world and Olympic records in various distances, including the 200 meters, 400 meters, and indoor 400 meters. Additionally, he once held the world's best time at 300 meters.
Considered one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field, Johnson is an exceptional athlete who has left an indelible mark on the sport.
Notably, he is the only male athlete to have won both the 200 meters and 400 meters events at the same Olympics, a feat he accomplished at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. Furthermore, Johnson is the only man to have successfully defended his Olympic title in the 400 meters, achieving this remarkable feat at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney.
Aside from his Olympic success, Johnson accumulated eight gold medals at World Championships, tying him with Carl Lewis for the second most gold medals won by a runner, behind only Usain Bolt.
Johnson's unique running style, characterized by a stiff upright position and very short steps, defied conventional wisdom about the importance of a high knee lift for maximum speed.
As of 2012, Johnson holds an impressive 13 of the top 100 times for the 200 meters and 27 of the top 100 times for the 400 meters. Notably, he holds 14 of the top 25 times for the 400 meters, demonstrating his remarkable consistency and dominance in the sport.
Moreover, Johnson broke the 44-second barrier for the 400 meters an astonishing 22 times, more than twice as many times as any other athlete.
