Athletics: Johnson warning on Olympics
Nov 10 2007 Western Mail
ONE of the world’ s greatest ever athletes Michael Johnson said he was not anticipating a “pretty” performance from the UK team at next year’s Olympics in Beijing.
The American, the first athlete to win 200m and 400m gold medals in the same Olympics – achieved first at Atlanta and again four years later in Sydney in 2000 – said British athletics in particular needed to focus on putting its house in order in time for the London Olympics in 2012
Speaking at the Millennium Stadium at S4C’s annual sport lecture dinner, he said one of the biggest conversations taking place right now in sport was who was going to finish top of the Olympics medals table in Beijing next year.
“The US has finished at the top for the last few Olympics, but now there is talk that China can surpass the US and end its dominance. However, I don’t think that is going to happen,” said Johnson
He added, "And everyone wants to know how Britain is going to finish… well it is not going to be pretty. This is because there has been a huge lapse since the days of Coe, Ovett and Cram and then the next generation of Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, John Regis and Colin Jackson.
"They were great athletes who trained really hard. I competed against those guys and we learned a lot from their training and the methods their coaches employed.
“But then it all dropped off and the coaches stopped learning and the athletes became a little bit complacent. In the last couple of major championships British performances were not good at all. It takes a little while to turn that around, so I think Beijing is going to be difficult for the British.”
The Texan said that while 2012 may seem a long way off, it wasn’t. He added, "On the positive, a 16-year-old now will be in his or her prime for London. So now is the time for British athletes, coaches and UK sport to take a very good look at themselves. Some of the things you used to do well, you don’t know and you have to be honest about that, as the Chinese have, and figure out what you’re going to do about it.
“If it means bringing in expertise and coaching which is not here then that is what you do. And if it means taking an athlete out of the UK to train, then you have to do that also.”
Johnson, who is part of the BBC’s athletics broadcasting team, said there was too much expectation on youngsters at the first sign of showing real potential.
He added, "In the States nobody cares about track and field and we would love to have the kind of exposure and attention that is focused on the sport here in Great Britain, but it’s a doubled-edged sword
"As soon as someone has the potential to be a world-beater, they have all this attention. I can tell you who the top junior sprinter in the UK is, but I cannot tell you who the top American is. I will not know him until he actually does something.
“Here athletes have all the attention, celebrity status and funding. And, as much as we like to think that athletes compete only for the glory, the honest truth is that a big part of it is celebrity status and money. So where does the motivation come from for an athlete who already has just about everything that he or she has really dreamed of?”
However, Johnson said he was encouraged by some of the younger athletes coming through the UK system, such as Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams.
Johnson said, “I like his attitude and some other young athletes who, when coming off the track are not happy when they have done okay, but not great. These athletes are showing that they care and that’s what you need to see happening.”