Michael Johnson after winning the 400m at the 1997 IAAF World Championships (© Getty Images)
Michael Johnson chases a fourth consecutive 400 metres world title next week knowing he is living with a chronic hip and leg problem that could affect his running at any moment.
A hip alignment problem leaves Johnson's legs like a tyre out of alignment on an automobile, his therapist Dale Smith said on Thursday.
"If Michael becomes a little rotated or out of alignment up in his low back or pelvis, he creates stress across his legs in a way they are really not designed to take stress," Smith told reporters.
The problem knocked Johnson out of the anticipated 200 metres showdown with 100 metres world record holder Maurice Greene in the U.S. championships in June and prompted Johnson to pull up in a 400 metres race in Stockholm last month.
As a result, Johnson believes he has another problem -- his image. After years of being known as one willing to take on all challenges and challengers, he said he now finds himself questioned about his willingness to race one and all.
"Over the last six weeks... I haven't been given any benefit of the doubt," Johnson said. "It's been basically like, 'here, Michael goes again, he's known for ducking'.
"I don't have that reputation. I don't understand why no one said, 'Hey, Michael is in Rome running against Ato Boldon, who has the fastest time in the world, while Maurice decided to run the 100'.
"I support his choice, I'm not saying he's dodging me or ducking me, and I don't think anyone should, but I don't understand why that was said about me but no one said that about Maurice."
Smith said injuries could re-occur any time Johnson put pressure on his legs.
"It will cramp, it will feel like a strain, but in a sense it is not a strain in the way we tend to think of them in terms of tearing a muscle that going to require four weeks, or six weeks or even longer to heal," Smith said.
The normal solution would be to tell the patient to stop running, Smith said. But there is no time for a break in Johnson's business, so Smith has worked on solutions to strengthen and stabilise his spine and pelvis.
"It does not come from the way I run, just my body," said Johnson.
His reaction has been a cautious one, shutting down in practice or non-championship races when he feels the strain. "If it's the Olympic Games, I'm going to run through it," said Johnson, indicating that he had felt a problem five metres from the finish line of the 200 metres but had continued to run, winding up with a world record of 19.32.
Johnson said he experienced no pain until he felt a strain or twinge.
"When it's rotated I can't feel it, because it is so very slight," he said. "But when your muscles are taken out of their comfort zone just a tiny bit, they are very susceptible to injury."
Fortunately for Johnson, the problem is not career threatening and he has been able to train hard since the Stockholm withdrawal.
"I'm in the best shape I have been since 1996," he said, indicating he could be on course for a shot at Butch Reynolds's 400 metres world record.
Gene Cherry (Reuters) for the IAAF
