With the 2024 season coming to a close, sprint legend Michael Johnson spoke out about the changing landscape of men’s 200 meters. He commented on the current rankings and hinted at an exciting future for track and field.
Johnson was one of the most feared athletes on the track during his professional career. He was versatile, competing at multiple levels and setting a standard for the sport at the time.
Even after retiring from competitive track and field, the 51-year-old continued to be actively engaged in the sport, closely following each season to the present day.
The 2024 campaign produced many surprising results, but the track veteran highlighted one thing that remained constant in the sport throughout its existence.
“Men’s 200m has typically always had one dominant leader.“
Johnson said that throughout his time running in the sport, a single competitor has always remained ahead of the field by a significant margin in the men’s 200 meters.
He issued this statement in response to Track Spice’s 200-meter rankings, based on the division’s world lead, for the 2024 season, which were posted on X.
Letsile Tebogo stood at the top of the list, clocking an astounding 19.46 in the Paris Olympics. Noah Lyles, who ran 19.53 seconds at the US Olympic Trials, was the next athlete added to the list. The top two 200-meter athletes in 2024 were separated by 0.07 seconds, leaving the track veteran optimistic about the sport’s future.
“Next few years it could be more competitive than it’s ever been.“
The razor-thin margin in the men’s 200 meters demonstrated that the runners defied the traditional trend of having one dominant runner throughout the Olympic cycle.
Johnson emphasized that the timings shown in the 2024 season were only the beginning of many great performances and close-track battles in the category to come.
Men’s 200m has typically always had one dominant leader.
Next few years it could be more competitive than it’s ever been. https://t.co/DzDAJCNiyM— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) September 21, 2024
After Noah Lyles, Kenny Bednarek finished in third place with a time of 19.57 seconds. The American sprinter was closely followed by Courtney Lindsey, who clocked in at 19.71 seconds, securing fourth place.
Tarsis Orogot claimed the fifth spot with a time of 19.75 seconds, while Erriyon Knighton finished in sixth place with a time of 19.77 seconds.
Fred Kerley followed with a time of 19.81 seconds, earning him seventh place, and Alexander Ogando secured eighth place with a time of 19.86 seconds.
Christian Coleman finished in ninth place with a time of 19.89 seconds, closely followed by Kyree King and Ryan Zeze, who both finished with a time of 19.90 seconds and shared the tenth spot.
