Michael
JohnsonKeeping In Touch With The
Sport
25 November
2001 - Monte Carlo - Michael Johnson,
who received the Distinguished Career
Award at last night’s World Athletics
Gala in Monte-Carlo took time out to
talk to the press. Here is a transcript
of a press conference held yesterday.
Question: How did you enjoy your “long goodbye” in 2001?
It has been a great year, and lots of fun, I really enjoyed being able to go a lot to all the meetings and also to places I had been before and all these farewell celebrations this past summer were great. I really enjoyed it Question: Have you found the transition to retirement difficult? Do you miss athletics yet?
It was a lot easier because of the way I did it. Sydney was my last individual title, and last winter I was still training, of course not at the same level, so it has been a slow progression. If I had just stopped after Sydney, rather than training for and running the relays, it would have been a quite abrupt stop. The farewell tour last year helped to take my focus of retiring.
Question: Is there a possibility for you to come back after retirement like the other “MJ”?
No, I have retired. I decided to retire. I did everything I wanted to do, I was fortunate enough to accomplish all my goals and also realised that at this point I couldn’t run faster, that was my goal, to run faster and to break records. I realised at this point I couldn’t run faster, better as I am/was getting older. And I think the main reason for me leaving was that I realised it is just the right time. When I go out there and ran 43 seconds nobody is really that impressed, even if nobody in the world can do it, so I know it is time to go. It is the standard I have set. People now expect to see me run less than 43 seconds. If I can’t set a world record then it is like I have failed.
Question: is that a disappointment?
It is a compliment that people expect to see more. That’s a standard I have set. I know how hard it is to train for those kind of races. So I am being appreciated.
Question: Who will be the next big star of the 400m?
Who knows? So many people out there are capable. It is very difficult to predict who will be the next dominant person because nobody really stepped up last year.
Question: Your career lasted over 10 years, but would you isolate any “greatest moment”?
My world record performances at 400m and 200m, especially the second one, are the two races I am most known for. But all my championship titles and records are special Question: There was a lot of controversy prior to the Olympic Trials in 200 about you and Maurice Greene running the 200m. In the end are you glad that you didn’t actually make the team at that event? I realised before the final had even started, that I didn’t want to run the 200m, but just the 400m and relays. I wanted to be able to enjoy my last Olympics and be able to really experience it. It was great for me to enjoy some time with my family and not to be involved in any controversy. I’ve had enough of that in my career. I enjoyed the championships, the rivalries and head to heads. It was good for me to go to Sydney, and I took really good memories.
Question: Some people say that a Head to Head between you and Maurice in Sydney would have been great promotion for the sport …
I think the sport was lacking a lot in 2000. With Maurice being so hot at that point – he had broken a world record the year before in the 100m – I can understand that a lot of people wanted to put us together. But I didn’t need that at that point in my career, I’m too old for that kind of thing. And having my performances, the things I had accomplish over the years being questioned simply because people were trying to create a match up was not appealing.
Question: How did you enjoy the experience of working exclusively in broadcasting during the World Championships in Edmonton?
It was a good experience for me: I started broadcasting in 1997 but had never gone to a championship as a broadcaster and that’s what I did in Edmonton. It was a great experience for me because it was every day, it was difficult, I was doing a lot of different things, I was working for ABC, BBC and ZDF and I was still training as well. It was a lot of work but I enjoyed it, able I could focus on doing a good job, that was my objective. Question: Do you plan to coach or perhaps work with USATF, your national federation?
I won’t be coaching other athletes, but I will continue in track and field. I am discussing right now how to work with the IAAF in future. A big part of my farewell tour last year was organising kids’ clinics. I am going to continue to work with children. I want to keep them involved with sport and I plan to continue broadcasting. I also do a lot of motivational speaking with a number of corporations. I have been doing a lot more of that since I retired.
Question: It would be fair to say that you are doing these things for love rather than money!
I enjoy the work. I’ve been fortunate to have had a career I loved and to have made a very good living out of it. Now I have the opportunity to do what I want, and not be so concerned about the financial returns. I enjoy doing corporate speaking, I don’t have to go out and train hard, it is pretty easy by comparison! As for the kids’ clinics, there will be a lot of travelling, but it is something I really enjoy. Up to last year I wasn’t really able to focus on it, it was part of my obligations, to my sponsors and usually it was one day or two days before I was to compete. But the past year, I was able to focus on it and really enjoyed it. I wish that when I was a child starting sport, there had been a famous athlete there. I didn’t have that opportunity Question: Any plans for another child?
I think we’re only going to have one. Sebastian is 19 months old now, he’s starting to talk, walk, which means he is even more work! It is great, a lot of fun and work but I enjoy being a parent.
Question: How should parents get their kids interested in sport?
I thing it is important for children to enjoy sport, that it is fun, so that they continue. In USA, a lot of parents and coaches get kids stressed by focusing on training and working hard. I think it is important for them to learn to work hard but it is more important at that age that they enjoy sport and are allowed to have fun.
Question: Sometimes it is hard for girls to remain interested past a certain age. What can be done?
All you can do is go out there and encourage young girls to get involved in sports, and hope that they see athletes like Marion Jones or Stacey Dragila succeeding. They are great examples.
Question: Any plans for other business activities?
You know, there are always lots of people coming up to me with great ideas about what they can do with my money! I am not into business. It is not my passion. When I see great opportunities, I take advantage of them but my goal is to be involved in different things.
Question; How about getting into politics?
Definitely not
Question: When you travel around the USA, what is the question you are most often asked by kids?
A lot of kids ask how you make a living in track and field. They just don’t believe that we do make a living. They think there is no professional track and field. Because they think the sport does not exist outside the Olympics they say: “What do you do in the 4 years between the Olympics? That’s very frustrating because you know that other children will be asking themselves the same question. Children don’t know much about track and field and that is something that all of us – athletes and administrators – must try and change.