Michael Johnson was one of the most significant athletes to win several gold medals in his prolific career. However, when it comes to picking favorites, he never fails to choose one of the most iconic sprints in history from 1968 that made a mark across the world.
The 1968 Summer Olympics became historic due to a single, subtle protest after the men’s 200m sprint. Setting a world record of 19.83s, Tommie Smith swooped up the gold, closely followed by his teammate John Carlos, who ended up with a bronze. Australia’s Peter Norman caught up just in time to land between the two American icons to bag the silver.
However, what followed the momentous occasion left Smith and Carlos with a tragic twist to their careers. At the time, with political unrest and the assassinations of both Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the black community — particularly athletes — witnessed frustration and anger.
As a gesture of silent protest, the athletes wore black gloves on one hand and raised their fists as they stood up on the podium to indicate their stance against injustice. This cost them future competitions even though Smith recorded the fastest time in the world back then.
However, focusing on the race alone, Johnson shared a post on X by Costas Goulas, who pointed out the sheer brilliance in strategy. Carlos dominated the race until the last bend at the 200m track, with 50m to go. That’s when Smith swiftly took over and gained a dominant lead, leaving behind all his competitors.
“Let’s recall Tommie Smith as he turns a sweet bend to set up handsomely and roars past an aggressive John Carlos and away over the final 50m for a runaway Olympic title…”
Smith not only won the race but also established the world record for the men’s 200m, making it Johnson’s favorite race of all time.
This is my favorite race of all time! https://t.co/yC734Ldrm7
— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) October 17, 2024
Speaking of historic races, Johnson himself had put up one of the most iconic sprints of all time during the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Contesting in the 400m race, he became the ‘only man yet to win the Olympic title twice.’
But that wasn’t all, since in a similar post on X, he provided more context to the historic sprint that garnered more respect from fans. It turns out that he considered that race to not be one of his best time records since he had a physical setback.
Injured during the 200m race at the US Olympic trials, Johnson spent months healing and nurturing himself back to normal while other contenders participated in more race meets. His experience came in handy, and his gold-winning moment was sweeter compared to any other achievement.
