Johnson
applauds new false start rule
Edmonton News Team
2 August 2001 - Multiple world record holder Michael Johnson today applauded the IAAF's decision to alter the rules governing false starts in sprint races. The reigning world and Olympic 400m champion, who has now retired from chasing individual championship honours, also called for the sport to become more professional, "from the top right down to the bottom".
Speaking after a Nike press conference, which the world 200m and 400m world record holder was compering, Johnson said of the IAAF Congress decision yesterday: "I think that it's a good idea. I agree with it. I think that something had to be done."
Under the controversial new rule, the first false start in a race will be charged to the entire field, with a second resulting in the offending athlete, whoever they may be, being disqualified. Johnson aligned his comments on the rule change with a call for the sport as a whole to become more professional in its outlook.
"I know a lot of athletes are against it [the new rule]," he said. "But I think this is an example of how we all have to be more professional."
Distancing himself from the views of other athletes, including world 100m record holder Maurice Greene, who is opposed to the rule change, Johnson said: "I have now seen what's on the other side of it. Having worked on television I now understand how some of these things can interrupt a telecast."
In particular, Johnson criticised the views of one of his old adversaries on the track, British 400m runner Mark Richardson, who at the 1998 Bislett Games in Oslo became one of the few men ever to defeat Johnson over one lap.
"I read some comments from Richardson the other day slamming it," said Johnson, referring to the Briton's suggestions that the IAAF had "put television before the athletes".
"Well, Mark's probably got some sponsors and they're not going to be interested in sponsoring him if the sport's not on television," responded Johnson. "You've got to look at it professionally - and you have to see that this is a business, it's a profession sport."
Johnson also said he was disappointed that IAAF Congress threw out a proposal to reduce the number of attempts allowed in field events. "I think that that would have helped as well," he said.
"I think that everyone - federations, meet promoters, managers, agents, athletes - all of us have to be more professional in order to gain respect for athletics as a professional sport," he said. "That way everything else will start to fall into line - then you'll start to get more television, and more sponsorship. We all, as a sport, from the top down to the bottom, have to be more professional."
Alongside his six individual world titles, for 200m and 400m, and three individual Olympic golds, Johnson also has five world and Olympic gold medals for the 4x400m relay. And he had hoped to gain a last minute place on the US team here, he revealed, an option the USA Track and Field selectors did not take up. "I think that it was a missed opportunity to give the fans something they obviously wanted," said Johnson. "But there's a lot of missed opportunities in track and field."
Johnson, the only person to set a world record at the last world championships in Seville two years ago, predicted that pole vaulter and fellow American Stacy Dragila is the athlete most likely to set a world record in Edmonton. Dragila, who has already raised the women's pole vault world record by some 20 centimetres this season, said: "Well, I didn't get a world record while I was competing overseas, so maybe this is my time."
As for who will inherit the 400m crown that he has owned so conclusively since 1993, Johnson had some good news for home fans. "If it's a slow race then [USA's Antonio] Pettigrew could very well win," he said. "But Greg Haughton (JAM) is in very good shape right now. And [the Bahamas' Avard] Moncur has been the most consistent."
Then the great man paused for thought, before adding, "But the Canadian kid look's good to me and he hasn't run a lot of races," referring to the home country's 23 year-old Shane Niemi. "He'd be the one that I'd have my eye on."
