Track & Field

What's the story behind you choosing to run for Nike?

Baylor's Nike Connection: The Story Behind My Choice to Run for Nike

What's the story on me competing for Nike? I had the choice to compete for other brands when I came out of college. But my college actually was supported by Nike. Baylor university was a Nike school. So I was familiar with Nike, had always worn Nike's. And again, it was a great brand that had. At that time, this is in 1990. And Jordan, Bo Jackson. Those were the athletes who were just you know amazing and Nike was doing amazing things with them from a marketing standpoint. And everybody wanted that. And I was no different. I wanted it to. And so I chose Nike. And it obviously turned out to be the right decision because the sort of things that I did with them over the years with the gold shoe project as an example in 1996 was the sort of things that I had envisioned and wanted to work with my main sponsor a shoe company with. And so that was a great choice. But yeah, it came from those two things just the familiarity from from being Baylor school which was supported by Nike and then also what Nike had already been doing from a marketing standpoint with with athletes.

After graduating college, I chose to compete for Nike because I was familiar with them from my college being a Nike school and they were doing great marketing with athletes like Jordan and Bo Jackson. It turned out to be the right decision and I was able to do some amazing projects with them.

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The story behind my decision to compete for Nike is rooted in a combination of factors. Firstly, when I graduated from college, my alma mater, Baylor University, was a Nike-supported school. I had been familiar with Nike and had always worn their products. At that time, in 1990, Nike had incredible athletes like Jordan and Bo Jackson, and they were doing amazing things with them from a marketing perspective. Like many others, I was drawn to the brand and wanted to be a part of it.

Choosing Nike turned out to be the right decision for me. Over the years, I had the opportunity to work on projects like the gold shoe project in 1996, which aligned with my vision and aspirations as an athlete sponsored by a shoe company. It was a great choice because of the familiarity I had with Nike through my college and the impactful marketing campaigns they had already executed with athletes.

In summary, my decision to compete for Nike was influenced by my connection to the brand through my college and the impressive marketing initiatives they had undertaken with renowned athletes.

What's the story behind setting the 300m national record in 2000 at Pretoria?

Unforgettable: The 300m National Record Broken in Pretoria

What's the story behind setting the 300 meter national record in 2000 at Pretoria? Yes, that was 2000 in preparation for the Olympic games that year. I competed a couple of times in south Africa, and so that year I was competing in Pretoria. Ran the 300 meters just to work on some speed endurance for the 200 meters, and then ended up breaking the world record, or setting the world best 30.85, which has since been broken by Wayde van Niekerk from South Africa. But yeah, at the time it was a world best, a world record. And I always liked that event. Being a 200 meter, 400 meter sprinter the 300 meters was perfect for me. But it's not very often run, it's not an Olympic or official track and field event distance, but every now and then a competition will put it on and it's always a lot of fun. I really enjoyed it.

In 2000, I competed in Pretoria and ended up breaking the world record for the 300 meters with a time of 30.85 seconds. It was a great experience and I enjoyed the event since it was perfect for me as a 200 and 400 meter sprinter.

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The story behind setting the 300-meter national record in 2000 at Pretoria is quite interesting. It was in preparation for the Olympic Games that year, and I had been competing in South Africa. During a competition in Pretoria, I decided to run the 300 meters to work on my speed endurance for the 200 meters.

To my surprise, I ended up breaking the world record, setting a time of 30.85 seconds. At that time, it was considered a world best and a world record. However, since then, the record has been broken by Wayde van Niekerk from South Africa.

I always had a fondness for the 300 meters as it was a perfect distance for me, being a sprinter in the 200 and 400 meters. Although it's not a commonly run event and not included in the official track and field program for the Olympics, it occasionally appears in competitions, and I always found it enjoyable.

Overall, it was a memorable experience setting the national record in the 300 meters at Pretoria in 2000, especially considering the context of my Olympic preparations.

How did it feel to win your first Jesse Owens Award in 1994?

Legendary Jesse Owens Award: A Hero's Legacy Lives On

How did it feel to win your first Jesse Owens award in 1994? It was great because Jesse Owens has always been my hero. He has always been the greatest sprinter of all time. I still believe that to this day. And what he did in 1936, not only in Berlin at the Olympic games, but also at the big eight I believe championships. Also, in 1935 or 1936, breaking four world records in one day. It's just amazing. And he's always been a hero of mine. So I had the opportunity to win the Jesse Owens award twice. In 1994 was my first one. It was a huge honor. And I believe that was the first time that I met Jesse Owens' widow who I got to know very well, and she was always very very nice to me and very encouraging to me as well. And then the greatest compliment I think I ever received during my entire career was when she told me once that watching me run reminded her of Jesse. That was it for me. I was like, OK, I don't need to hear anything from anyone else about my career at this point.

Winning the Jesse Owens Award in 1994 was a huge honor for me, and I felt great. Meeting Jesse Owens' widow was a great experience and the greatest compliment I ever received was when she said watching me run reminded her of Jesse.

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Winning my first Jesse Owens Award in 1994 was an incredible feeling. Jesse Owens has always been my hero, and I consider him the greatest sprinter of all time. His achievements in 1936, both at the Olympic Games in Berlin and the Big Eight Championships, where he broke four world records in one day, are truly remarkable. He has always been an inspiration to me.

Receiving the Jesse Owens award was a tremendous honor, especially because it allowed me to meet Jesse Owens' widow, whom I got to know well. She was always kind and supportive, and the greatest compliment I ever received was when she told me that watching me run reminded her of Jesse. That meant the world to me, and it was a validation of my career.

What inspired your documentary, 'Survival of the Fastest'?

Unraveling the Dominance: Introducing Survival of the Fastest

So what inspired my documentary, Survival of the Fastest? I had a really good time doing that documentary. It was really trying to help people understand why it is that the sprint event over the history of the Olympics have been dominated-- in track and field, really have been dominated primarily by Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean athletes. So I interviewed numerous scientists, historians to get all of these different perspectives and listen to their perspectives on why this is because it's such a hotly debated and often debated topic. And it was very interesting to listen to and then present to the public all of these different philosophies. Some that I agree with, some that I didn't.

My documentary, Survival of the Fastest, was inspired by my interest in understanding why sprint events at the Olympics have been dominated primarily by Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean athletes. I interviewed numerous scientists and historians to get different perspectives on this debate and presented them to the public.

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The inspiration behind my documentary, Survival of the Fastest, stemmed from a desire to help people understand why sprint events in track and field, particularly in the history of the Olympics, have been predominantly dominated by Afro-American and Afro-Caribbean athletes. To explore this topic, I conducted interviews with scientists and historians, gathering various perspectives on the matter. The documentary aimed to present these diverse viewpoints to the public, as it is a highly debated and discussed subject. It was fascinating to listen to and share these different philosophies, even if I didn't necessarily agree with all of them. Overall, it was a rewarding experience creating this documentary.

What was the storyline going into the 1996 Olympics?

Michael Johnson's High-Stakes Quest for Olympic History

What was the storyline going into the 1996 Olympics? Well, the storyline was Michael Johnson has requested a schedule change to the Olympic games to allow him to attempt to make history, will he succeed or will he fail? So that was the storyline. And then on the first day of the 1996 Olympic games, I came out in those gold shoes. And so then the storyline became, yeah, will he fail and end up with silver or bronze wearing gold shoes and fall flat on his face? Obviously, it all worked out, but a tremendous amount of pressure going into that games. I was the face of the games and the storyline going into 1996. But I felt comfortable with that. I loved having the pressure on me, I loved being the race favorite, I loved having that pressure. I thrived on it and I knew that I produced my best performances under pressure, so I never felt uncomfortable with it and never felt that I wasn't going to succeed as a result of being under that type of pressure. I thought the exact opposite, that the more pressure the better. And yeah, I had learned early in my career how to manage pressure and how to manage the nerves and how to handle pressure and perform well under pressure. So that was the storyline and fortunately yeah, it all worked out.

The 1996 Olympics storyline was about Michael Johnson attempting to make history with a schedule change, and the pressure it put on him to succeed. He was comfortable with the pressure and managed it well, and he succeeded in making history.

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The storyline going into the 1996 Olympics was centered around Michael Johnson's request for a schedule change to attempt to make history. The question was whether he would succeed or fail. On the first day of the games, Johnson emerged wearing gold shoes, adding another layer to the storyline. The focus shifted to whether he would fail while wearing gold shoes or come out on top. Despite the immense pressure, Johnson embraced being the face of the games and thrived under the weight of expectations. He believed that the more pressure, the better, as he had learned how to manage and perform well under pressure early in his career. Ultimately, everything worked out for him.

Did your career transition into commentating for BBC feel natural?

Commentating on BBC: A Natural Transition or Hard Work?

Did your career transition into commentating for BBC feel natural? It did not. Although, I know a lot about track and field. Obviously, at the time that I transitioned out of the sport as an athlete into commentating, I knew a lot about the sport, certainly knew a lot about my events. But I didn't want to just be someone who knew a lot about those events and who had the credibility from just having competed in this sport. I wanted to be able to have credibility as a commentator, being able to help the viewers understand what they're seeing, whether it's my event or any other event. So I was able to do that. But it took a tremendous amount of work and studying. And I approached it in much the same way that I approached my athletic career, wanting to be the best that I can be and settling for nothing less than that. Putting in the work in order to accomplish my goals, setting some small goals along the way to get better, assessing my performances after a commentating at an event and what I did good, what it did bad, how do I improve? So much in the same way that I was able to succeed as an athlete, I've been able to succeed as a commentator.

It took a lot of hard work and studying, but I was able to transition into commentating for BBC by approaching it in the same way that I approached my athletic career and striving to be the best.

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Did my career transition into commentating for BBC feel natural? No, it did not. While I had extensive knowledge about track and field, transitioning from being an athlete to a commentator required more than just expertise in my events. I wanted to establish credibility as a commentator and help viewers understand the sport, regardless of the event. This meant putting in a tremendous amount of work and studying.

I approached commentating with the same determination and drive that I had in my athletic career. I aimed to be the best and settled for nothing less. I set goals, both big and small, along the way to continuously improve. After each event, I assessed my performance, identifying areas for improvement and figuring out how to enhance my skills.

In many ways, the approach that led to my success as an athlete also helped me succeed as a commentator. It was not a natural transition, but through hard work and dedication, I was able to establish myself in the field.

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Michael Johnson is one of the greatest sprinters of all time, and in the 1990s he dominated the 200m and 400m, going undefeated in the latter for seven years. Born in Dallas in 1967, he studied at Baylor University and was spotted by coach Clyde Hart. After gaining a degree, he committed to full-time athletics and in 1991 won the 200m world title. Sadly, food poisoning denied him individual success at the Barcelona Olympics, but he helped the US 4x400m relay team to gold. From 1993, Johnson went undefeated in the 400m for 58 races and in 1996 achieved the 200m-400m double at the Atlanta Olympics, setting world records in both. He retired in 2001 having won 8 world and 4 Olympic gold medals.