This page details the career achievements of American track & field athlete Michael Johnson. Over the course of his career, Johnson consistently dominated his events, winning almost every time he took to the track. He set numerous world and Olympic records in short distance track, both as an individual and as a member of relay teams. His domination of the 400 meter race is unprecedented in the history of track and field, making him arguably the greatest 400 m runner of all time. For approximately one decade, Michael Johnson held the world records in the 200 meters, 400 meters and indoor 400 meters, as well as the world's best time in the 300 meters and the world record for the 4 by 400 meter relay. He is still a world record holder for the 4 x 400 meter relay. In 2004, Johnson was voted into the United States Track & Field Hall of Fame. At the ceremony, his record-setting 200-meter performance at the 1996 Summer Olympics was deemed the greatest track and field moment in the past 25 years. Johnson is generally considered one of the greatest and most consistent sprinters in the history of track and field.
Medal record
Olympics GamesEventTimesResult1992 Barcelona4 x 400 m relay2:55.74 (44.73) Gold1996 Atlanta200 m19.32 Gold1996 Atlanta400 m43.49 Gold2000 Sydney400 m43.84Gold2000 Sydney4 x 400 m relay2:56.35 (44.29)Disqualified**Teammates Antonio Pettigrew and Jerome Young later admitted to use of performance-enhancing drugs, invalidating this performance and vacating the team of their gold medals.
World Championships GamesEventTimeResult1991 Tokyo200 m20.01 Gold1993 Stuttgart400 m43.65 Gold1993 Stuttgart4 x 400 m relay2:54.29 (42.91) Gold1995 Gothenburg200 m19.79 Gold1995 Gothenburg400 m43.39 Gold1995 Gothenburg4 x 400 m relay2:57.32 (44.11)Gold1997 Athens400 m44.12Gold1999 Seville400 m43.18 Gold
Awards World Athletics Awards World Athlete of the Year (Men)：1996, 1999 Men's Track & Field Athlete of the Year: 1990, 1996 Jesse Owens Award: 1994, 1995, 1996 Associated Press Athlete of the Year: 1996 Best Male Track Athlete ESPY Award: 1994, 1996, 1997, 2000 James E. Sullivan Award: 1996 Jesse Owens International Trophy: 1996, 1997
Track & Field News World Rankings Event19901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200 meters11341117NR28400 meters11511111111
Personal bests
200 meters
Track records (11) are highlighted.
Time (sec)WindResultDateVenueAgeNotes19.32 0.41Atlanta, GA, United States19.66 1.71Atlanta, GA, United States19.71A1.81 r1Pietersburg, South Africa19.770.61Stockholm, Sweden19.791.01New Orleans, Louisiana, United States19.79 0.51Gothenburg, Sweden19.831.71Atlanta, GA, United States19.850.41Edinburgh, Scotland19.851.12Oslo, Norway19.88A1.51Sestriere, Italy19.88–0.91Barcelona, Spain19.891.01Bruxelles, Belgium19.890.31 h4Sacramento, CA, United States19.900.31Norwalk, CA, United States1990 USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships19.911.91Salamanca, Spain19.910.01 r1Sevilla, Spain19.93–0.31Monaco, Monaco19.930.81Roma, Italy19.930.41Bruxelles, Belgium19.941.41Sheffield, EnglandThis time equalled James Sanford's (USA) track record from June 1980 which was set with wind assistance of 4 m/s.19.940.01Monaco, Monaco19.98–0.41Rieti, Italy19.980.31Houston, TX, United States20.011.01Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France20.01 –3.41Tokyo, Japan20.010.31 sf1Göteborg, Sweden
Johnson also holds the track record for Gateshead, United Kingdom where in August 1990 he ran 20.21 seconds with a wind assistance of 2.2 m/s.
400 meters In the history of track, 102 times has a runner run the 400 meters in less than 44 seconds. Johnson alone accounts for 22 of these 102 sub-44 performances (correct ).
Track records (11) are highlighted.
Time (sec)ResultDateVenueAgeNotes43.18 1Seville, Spain43.39 1Gothenburg, Sweden43.441Atlanta, GA, United States43.49 1Atlanta, GA, United States43.65 1Stuttgart, Germany43.661Sacramento, CA, United States43.661 r1Lausanne, Switzerland43.681Zürich, Switzerland43.681Sacramento, CA, United States43.741Eugene, OR, United States43.751Waco, TX, United States43.761Uniondale, NY, United States43.841Sydney, Australia43.861Oslo, Norway43.881Zürich, Switzerland43.901Madrid, Spain43.921 r2Lausanne, Switzerland43.921Eugene, OR, United States43.941Berlin, Germany43.951 sf1Seville, Spain43.961Monaco, Monaco43.981 r1London, England44.041Berlin, Germany44.061Brussels, Belgium44.071Brussels, Belgium44.121Athens, Greece44.171 r1Lausanne, Switzerland
Indoor 400 meters Time (sec)ResultDateVenueAgeNotes44.63 400 Metres All Time (indoor). (2009-02-08). Retrieved on 2009-04-06.1Atlanta, GA, United States1995 USA Indoor Track and Field Championships44.661Atlanta, GA, United States44.97A 1Reno, NV, United StatesFirst athlete to break 45 seconds45.141Birmingham, England45.171Birmingham, England45.321Fairfax, VA, United States45.461 r1Sevilla, Spain45.551Fairfax, VA, United States
100 meters Time (sec)WindResultDateVenueAge10.092.02 h3Knoxville, TN, United States
300 meters
Both of these times are track records.
Time (sec)ResultDateVenueAge30.851Pretoria, South Africa31.561Salamanca, Spain
4 by 200 meters relay Time (sec)ResultDateVenueAgeTeamLegs1:19.471Philadelphia, PA, United StatesNikeKenny Brokenburr, Alvin Harrison, Maurice Greene, Michael Johnson
4 by 400 meters relay
Track records are highlighted.
Time (sec)ResultDateVenueAgeTeamLegsNotes2:54.29 (42.91) 1Stuttgart, GermanyUnited StatesAndrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson1993 World Championships Final. Fastest relay leg in history.2:55.74 (44.73) 1Barcelona, SpainUnited StatesAndrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson, Steve Lewis1992 Summer Olympics Final2:57.32 (44.11)1Göteborg, SwedenUnited StatesMarlon Ramsey, Derek Mills, Butch Reynolds, Michael Johnson1995 World Championships Final2:58.721 sf2Stuttgart, GermanyUnited StatesAndrew Valmon, Antonio Pettigrew, Derek Mills, Michael Johnson1993 World Championships Qualifying Heat 2
Records
World records EventTimeDateVenueSurpassed by200 meters19.32Atlanta, GA, USAUsain Bolt (19.19, Berlin, Germany, )300 meters30.85Pretoria, South AfricaWayde van Niekerk (30.81, Ostrava, Czech Republic, )400 meters43.18Sevilla, SpainWayde van Niekerk (43.03, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, )400 meters (indoor)44.63Atlanta, GA, United StatesKerron Clement (44.57, Fayetteville, AR, United States, )4 x 400 meter relay2:54.29 (42.91)Stuttgart, GermanyUNBROKEN4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson. Johnson ran the anchor leg in 42.91 seconds, which is the fastest 400 meters ever run by a human.
Fastest 4 x 400 meter relay leg in history: 42.91, fourth leg, United States relay team, , Stuttgart, Germany 1993 IAAF World Championships Final (gold) Other than Jeremy Wariner (USA) who ran a 42.93 split in the 2007 Osaka World Championship final,4 × 400 metres relay no one else has ever broken 43 seconds. The 4 x 400 m U.S. relay team also set a world record with a time of 2:54.29. Both records still stand.
Consecutive 400 meter finals won: 58 Johnson's eight-year winning streak in the 400 m was snapped when he finished fifth in Paris in June 1997. Antonio Pettigrew won the race.
Largest margin of victory in the 200 meters in 55 years (1991 World Championships) Johnson ran a Championship record 20.01, .33 seconds ahead of Frankie Fredericks. Largest margin of victory in 200 m since Jesse Owens ran a world record 20.7, .4 seconds ahead of Mack Robinson, in the 1936 Olympics
Largest margin of victory in the 200 meters in history (1996 Olympics) Johnson ran a world record 19.32, .36 seconds ahead of Frankie Fredericks. Tied with Jesse Owens Broken by Usain Bolt
Largest improvement ever on a 200 m world record: .34 seconds Johnson broke his own record
Largest margin of victory in the 400 meters in history (1999 World Championships) Johnson ran a world record 43.18, finishing an incredible 1.11 seconds ahead of second-place Sanderlei Claro Parrela of Brazil.
Only athlete to be ranked #1 in the world in both 200 meters and 400 meters in the same year Five different years (1990, 1991, 1994, 1995, 1996)
First athlete to break 20 seconds in 200 meters and 44 seconds in 400 meters in a career Also achieved by LaShawn Merritt, the second athlete to do so, Isaac Makwala, the third, and Wayde van Niekerk, the fourth athlete.
Only athlete to break 20 seconds in 200 meters and 44 seconds in 400 meters at the same meet He first achieved this at the 1995 U.S. National Championships.
First athlete to break 45 seconds in indoor 400 meters: 44.97, , Reno, NV, United States
Most gold medals won on the track: Twelve (4 Olympics, 8 World Championships) Carl Lewis won more gold medals in track & field, but not more on the track. Usain Bolt has broken this record, surpassing both Johnson and Lewis in the gold medal count on the track.
First athlete to win both 200 meters and 400 meters at U.S. National Championships (1995)
Olympic records EventTimeDateVenueSurpassed by200 meters19.32Atlanta, GA, United StatesUsain Bolt (19.30, Beijing, China, )400 meters43.49Atlanta, GA, United States Wayde van Niekerk (43.03, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, )4 x 400 meter relay2:55.74 (44.73)Barcelona, SpainUnited States (2:55.39, Beijing, China, )1992 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Michael Johnson and Steve Lewis. Johnson ran the third leg in 44.73 seconds.2008 4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of LaShawn Merritt, Angelo Taylor, David Neville and Jeremy Wariner.
Only man to win 200 meters and 400 meters at the same Olympics (1996 Atlanta)
Only man to repeat as Olympic champion in 400 meters (1996 Atlanta, 2000 Sydney)
IAAF World Championships records EventTimeDateVenueSurpassed by200 meters19.79Gothenburg, SwedenUsain Bolt (19.19 seconds)400 meters43.18Sevilla, SpainNever been surpassed4 x 400 meter relay2:54.29 (42.91)Stuttgart, GermanyNever been surpassed4 by 400 meter U.S. relay team consisted of Andrew Valmon, Quincy Watts, Butch Reynolds and Michael Johnson. Johnson ran the anchor leg in 42.91 seconds, which is the fastest 400 meters ever run by a human.
Fastest 4 x 400 meter relay leg in World Championships history: 42.91, fourth leg, United States relay team, , Stuttgart, Germany 1993 IAAF World Championships Final (gold) No one else has ever broken 43 seconds. The 4 x 400 m U.S. relay team also set a world record with a time of 2:54.29. Both records still stand.
Only athlete to win the 200 meters and 400 meters at the World Championships in a career (1991 Tokyo, 1993 Stuttgart)
Only athlete to win the 200 meters and 400 meters at the same World Championships (1995 Gothenburg) This required running nine races in nine days.
Most gold medals won in World Championships history: Eight Tied with Carl Lewis Broken by Usain Bolt
Olympic record
200 meters
400 meters
4 by 400 meters
Achievements