Johnson fires, weather strikesScott Gullan
December 15, 2006
HE GREW up on a fishing boat and lives in Canberra but Patrick Johnson knows a fair bit about Melbourne’s weather.
Johnson was the focus of the build-up to last night’s Zatopek Classic with Australia’s fastest man chasing the 41-year-old national 100 yards record.
When he arrived at Olympic Park on Wednesday with the mercury a very warm 30C, he talked up the challenge of breaking the record but warned he had been bitten too often by Melbourne’s weather to think the temperatures would hold.
The first spots of rain began last night when Johnson started his warm-up.
By the time he was at the blocks it was bucketing down and, true to his word, it meant the record – 9.2sec hand-timed which equates to 9.44 electronic – stayed with Bob Lay.
Johnson still managed to look impressive, clocking 9.72 in running down training partner Daniel Batman (9.83). Exciting Melbourne youngster Aaron Rouge-Serret (9.85) was third.
“The weather just kept getting worse and worse,” Johnson said. "I was trying to have a go at the record but it was tough with those winds. I am not a big guy so I could feel the wind pushing me back…
“It’s a tough record and hopefully they will give me another chance to have a crack at it.”
Johnson, 34, has taken on the role of spiritual leader of the Australian sprint team and his early-season form shows he is leading by example.
“I have decided we need to push each other this year in the 100m and 200m because that will help our relay as well,” Johnson said. “Collectively, I want us to rise up. We need to step it up, individually and in the relays before Beijing.”
He said the disappointment of dropping the baton at the final change when in a winning position at the Melbourne Commonwealth Games in March would spur on the team.
“We learnt our lesson and like everything we will work together,” Johnson said.
Tamsyn Lewis made a successful return to the 800m, running virtually on her own to win in 2min 5.10sec.
“You can’t really be happy with 2:05 – it’s just about getting around at the moment for me,” Lewis said. “I’ll definitely concentrate on the 800, and also run a couple of 400s.”
Nick Bromley looked good in winning the 800m (1:50.23), while local boy Sean Wroe (46.16) exploded in the straight to win the 400m, leaving big names Mark Ormrod and Casey Vincent in his wake.
Steeplechaser Peter Nowill recorded the only world title qualifying time, notching a B-standard of 8min 30.20sec.
It was an American one-two in the 10,000m with Galen Rupp, 20, streaking away to an impressive victory from his countryman Bret Schoolmeester.
Rupp, from the University of Oregon and coached by US marathon legend Alberto Salazar, came to Melbourne looking for a world title qualifying time but the conditions didn’t help.
He fell short despite clocking an impressive 28min 28.18sec. Schoolmeester, from Colorado university, clocked 28:46.26, while marathon star Lee Troop took out the national title for being the first Australian home, coming third in 28:53.31.
In the women’s 10,000m, New Zealand’s Jessica Ruthe (33min 4.52sec) won comfortably from Victoria’s Lisa Jane Weightman and Lauren Shelley.
, yea he missed it by a hell of a lot. When someone runs 10.00 they dont say xxx misses 100m record do they 
: you could put any title on it you want. i just wrote that header because the Preview story a few days earlier said Johnson was attempting to get the 100y record. i suppose i could have written a header that said “johnson not fast enough”.
