/ 4 April 2000

JOHNSON COMPLETES SA SAFARI WITH QUICK 400

DOUBLE Olympic champion Michael Johnson ran a sparkling hand-timed 43,9 seconds for 400m to complete his spectacularly successful three-meet tour of South Africa on Friday. Johnson, world record-holder over 200 meters, 300 meters and 400 meters, started easily, and finished fast to reach his goal of a sub-44 second 400, even if it was a hand time as the stadium’s electronic timing equipment failed. “I’m happy with that, but my main aim for the year is still the Olympics in Sydney, Australia,” Johnson said. In the other two races of his South African trip, Johnson ran 19,71 for the 200, the fourth-fastest time in history, and he set a world record of 30,85 for the seldom-run 300. Johnson’s racing schedule will be limited before the Olympics, his agent Brad Hunt said. “There will be one or two races in Europe before the U.S. Olympic trials in Sacramento, and then he’ll race sparingly in Europe in the buildup to Sydney,” Hunt said.