Track & Field

What was your strategy for dealing with the pressure of a big meet like the Olympics?

Embracing and Managing Pressure: A Champion's Strategy

What was my strategy for dealing with the pressure of the Olympics? It's a tremendous amount of pressure, first of all. You have one moment to get this right. For example, as a 200-meter runner, you're standing there behind the blocks, imagining this is your moment. And in 19 seconds after that gun goes off, you're either going to be the Olympic champion or you're not. That's pressure, and the entire world is watching, and you're wearing gold shoes. [LAUGHS] But I dealt with the pressure of all of those moments by learning how to manage pressure. You manage pressure as opposed to trying to make it go away. You can't make it go away. It's going to be there. I learned to actually embrace pressure, and I really enjoyed those moments when I was under pressure, when I was the favorite, because I had learned how to navigate that. So you start by being as prepared as you possibly can because a lot of the fear and the nerves come from wondering if you're actually ready for the moment, to deliver in the moment. So in all of those days and weeks and months leading up to the games, I know that I want to be ready in that moment and be confident, so I'm using every day as an opportunity to be ready and confident in that moment. And then once I'm in the moment, just compartmentalizing my thoughts. Nothing else matters before that gun goes off other than execution of that race and how I'm going to navigate that race and respond to things that take place during the race so that I can actually run the best race of my capability. But that compartmentalization is extremely important in not letting anything other than what you can control in that moment be on your mind.

I dealt with the pressure of the Olympics by preparing as much as possible beforehand, embracing pressure, and compartmentalizing my thoughts so that only what I could control was on my mind in the moment.

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My strategy for dealing with the pressure of a big meet like the Olympics was to learn how to manage and embrace the pressure rather than trying to make it go away. I understood that the pressure would always be there, so I focused on being as prepared as possible. I used every day leading up to the games to build my confidence and ensure that I would be ready for that crucial moment.

During the event, I learned to compartmentalize my thoughts. I blocked out everything else and solely focused on executing the race and navigating any challenges that arose during it. This allowed me to run to the best of my ability. The key was not letting anything other than what I could control in that moment occupy my mind.

Dealing with the immense pressure of the Olympics required preparation, confidence-building, and the ability to stay focused on the task at hand. By managing the pressure and embracing the moment, I was able to perform at my best.

Do you believe in the maxim 'hard work beats talent, unless talent works hard, and if so, what's your secret to motivating the talented?

Hard work alone won't beat talent anymore: The key to motivating the talented lies in their own goals.

Do you believe in the maxim hard work beats talent, unless talent works hard, and if so, what's your secret to motivating the talented? I don't believe that. Hard work does not beat talent at this point, for any sport. And if you're wanting to accomplish anything at a high level, whether it be a high school sports, college, professional sports, is so robust now with so many athletes that you've got to have talent, and you've got to work hard, even if you have talent. So nobody at the elite level, for sure, is there without talent. You can't hard work your way all the way to the elite level, if you don't have talent. I mean, that's the truth of the matter. Of course, at the high school level, you can have success with hard work, if you-- and maybe you beat some people that don't have talent, if they're not working hard. But I think you have to take that with a bit of a grain of salt, the whole hard work beats talent. Because that makes the assumption that the talent isn't actually working hard, and they probably are. For those people who are talented, how do you motivate them? I think they're already motivated I think the days of people feeling like, well, I just have the talent. So I don't have to work hard. I think those days are over. If they do have talent, and they don't want to work hard, then they don't really want it. So that's their choice. But motivating anyone to work hard, what I do is have them focus on their goals. If you're out here and you have goals, and you want to achieve those goals, there's only one way to achieve the goal. And that is to work hard, and work smart, and be committed to what it takes to accomplish the goal. And so explaining that, making sure they understand that. But also reminding-- continuing to remind that athlete of their goal, and what it takes to achieve those goals. And usually, that's-- that there is the motivation and it's that's usually pretty motivating. And people are most motivated by their own goals.

Hard work does not beat talent at the elite level, and if someone has talent, they likely already have motivation. To motivate them further, remind them of their goals and what it takes to achieve those goals.

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I don't believe in the maxim that hard work beats talent, unless talent works hard. In today's competitive sports landscape, talent is essential to achieve success at a high level. While hard work is important, it alone cannot take someone to the elite level without talent. At the high school level, hard work may lead to success against those who lack talent and don't work hard. However, it's important to recognize that talented individuals are likely already motivated and working hard.

Motivating talented individuals involves helping them focus on their goals. By emphasizing the importance of hard work, smart work, and commitment in achieving those goals, they can be reminded of what it takes to succeed. Ultimately, people are most motivated by their own goals.

What do you see as the key fundamentals of good sprinting?

Master the Fundamentals: Technique, Speed, and Endurance.

What do you see as the key fundamentals of good sprinting? So there are a few things here. One, absolutely technique is critical. Poor technique can, no matter how fast you are, makes you inefficient. And you're trying to get from point A to point B as quickly as you possibly can. And if you're wasting motion-- say, for example, if your arm motion is taking you from one side to the other, and there's too much movement, that's inefficient. And what that means is you're not getting as much distance and as much power out of each step as you could be. So technique is critical. Speed is obviously important. So increasing speed. Power equals speed, so you want to be strong enough, and especially in the acceleration phase and drag phase of a race, to be able to get out and display the type of power that's going to allow you to run faster in the early stages of the race. And then, finally, speed endurance, especially for 200 meters and 400 meters. And the speed endurance is the ability to hold the speed for longer times. That was one of the advantages that I had as a sprinter, especially over 200 meters, where most 200 meter sprinters coming up from the 100 meters would not be able to hold maximum speed for the entire race. Me being a 400 meter and 200 meter sprinter, having that advantage from the 400 meters, I was able to hold speed for the entire 200 meters, without losing speed. Those are the three fundamentals that I would say are most important. There are others, which come across all track and field events, and certainly the running, and that's flexibility, strength, power. All of those things are very important. But as a sprinter, those are the three most critical fundamentals.

The three key fundamentals for good sprinting are technique, speed, and speed endurance. Good technique can help you be more efficient in racing, while increasing speed and having speed endurance are also important, especially for 200 and 400 meter races. Flexibility, strength, and power are also important for all running events.

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The key fundamentals of good sprinting include technique, speed, and speed endurance. Technique is crucial as poor form can make you inefficient, wasting motion and power. Speed is important, and power is a key factor in achieving it, especially during the acceleration and drag phases of a race. Speed endurance is vital for longer sprints like the 200 meters and 400 meters, allowing you to maintain maximum speed for extended periods. This was an advantage I had as a 400-meter and 200-meter sprinter. Other important factors in sprinting include flexibility, strength, and power. However, the three most critical fundamentals for sprinters are technique, speed, and speed endurance.

Would you consider yourself to be a happy person?

Discovering True Happiness: A Journey of Self-Reflection and Choice

Would you consider yourself to be a happy person? Great question. I do. And it's something that I think about often, am I truly happy? Because I think a lot of people would answer that question just, yeah, of course I'm happy. But not having ever really thought about, well, am I truly happy? What makes me happy? And why do I think I'm happy? I think about that often and always have. And that's something you have to work at. It's a lot of self-reflection, but I think I'm generally a happy person. I'm an optimistic person, I think you can also-- whether or not you're a happy person sometimes is a choice and sometimes it's-- not always, but sometimes it's a choice and sometimes, in some ways, it's what you make of life. If you're not happy, can you change your circumstances and are you willing to work to change this circumstance? So I'm always working to be happy trying to make sure that my quality of life and balance is really good, making sure that I take the time to do the things that I like to do and that bring me joy and understanding what that is, and being around the type of people that I'm happy around and trying to eliminate people from my life who I don't necessarily want to be around maybe anymore, maybe at one point I did. So those things, but yeah, I'm generally happy. Thanks for asking.

Yes, I do consider myself to be a happy person. It's something that I think about often, and it takes work and self-reflection to make sure that I'm truly happy. I'm always working to be happy by making sure I take the time to do the things that bring me joy and being around the right people.

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Would I consider myself to be a happy person? Absolutely. It's a question I often reflect upon. I believe happiness is something that requires self-reflection and conscious effort. I consider myself generally happy and optimistic. I believe that happiness can be a choice in some situations, and it's also influenced by how we navigate and shape our lives.

For me, being happy involves self-reflection, maintaining a good work-life balance, and prioritizing activities that bring me joy. It's important to surround myself with people who contribute to my happiness and let go of those who no longer align with my values or bring negativity. Overall, I actively work towards being happy and ensuring a good quality of life.

Thank you for asking.

Is there a story behind your gold chain weighing more than your gold spikes?

The truth about athletes and weight: It's not just about gold chains and spikes.

Is there a story behind your gold chain weighing more than your gold spikes? Not necessarily a story, but that's often a question that I get. So I wore a gold chain throughout my entire career. It was part of me. It wasn't good luck or anything. It was just-- I just always wore it. I got it and wore it every race. Obviously, my shoes are known for how light they were. So they probably didn't weigh quite as much as the shoe, or maybe they were about the same. The issue is this. Weight is only an issue when it's on the part of your body that is actually swinging. So if you have a weight on your hands or arms, that would be a problem. If you have too much weight on your feet, that would be a problem. And that's why athletes want lightweight footwear, and that's why I pushed Nike on that shoe [INAUDIBLE] shoe project, to make a really lightweight shoe. Weight anywhere else on your body probably isn't going to make that much of a difference. So that chain weighed, you know, grams. So imagine-- you know, when people say, oh, well, didn't that weigh you down? Let's say that I increased my body weight by the same amount as that chain. Is that really going to matter? No, it's not because body weight, or weight on your body, does not actually slow you down unless you're overweight, and then that can be a problem. But when we're talking about-- I mean, I would probably gain or lose, and I'm sure athletes much more so than me would gain or lose 1 to 2 pounds. You can be carrying 1 pound of water weight from one race to the other. So I get it, and it's a funny question. But it gets a little annoying when people think, well, you made yourself deliberately slow by wearing a gold chain that weighed in mere grams, which is not that-- this sport doesn't work like that, where 1 gram or even 1 pound is going to make the difference between how fast or slow you run.

My gold chain weighed a few grams, which is not enough to make a noticeable difference in my performance. It was simply a personal choice I made, and it didn't affect my running speed.

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The story behind my gold chain weighing more than my gold spikes is not necessarily a story, but it's a question I often receive. Throughout my career, I always wore a gold chain. It wasn't for good luck or any specific reason, it was just a part of me. On the other hand, my shoes were known for being incredibly light. So, the weight of the chain probably didn't outweigh or even match the weight of the shoes.

The important thing to understand is that weight only becomes an issue when it's on the part of your body that is actively moving or swinging. For example, if you have weight on your hands or arms, it can affect your performance. Similarly, excessive weight on your feet can also be problematic. That's why athletes prefer lightweight footwear, and it's why I advocated for Nike to create a lightweight shoe during the shoe project.

Weight on other parts of your body typically doesn't make a significant difference. The chain I wore weighed only a few grams. So when people ask if it weighed me down, it's important to note that increasing my body weight by the same amount as the chain wouldn't have a noticeable impact. Body weight or weight on your body doesn't directly slow you down unless you are overweight, which can be a separate issue. In our sport, gaining or losing 1 to 2 pounds is common, and even carrying 1 pound of water weight from one race to another is possible.

So, while it's a funny question, it can be a bit frustrating when people think that wearing a gold chain weighing mere grams deliberately slowed me down. In reality, the sport doesn't work that way. The difference between running fast or slow isn't determined by a single gram or even a pound of weight.

From 1987 to 1999 you dropped over 3 seconds in your 400. What were your training keys for that success?

World record success: From 1987 to 1999, dropped over 3 seconds in 400 meters with key focus shift

"From 1987 to 1999, you dropped over 3 seconds on your 400 meters. What were your training keys for that success?" So it was more than just training. In 1987, I was a senior in high school and going into my college career. I had never run an open 400 meters ever. I was a 100- 200-meter sprinter in high school. And I did run on the 4-by-400-meter relay. And I was pretty good on the 4-by-400-meter relay. So I knew that I had the potential to be a good 400-meter runner but just didn't know how good, because I was an excellent 200-meter runner. And that was my focus. When I got to Baylor University in 1987, I still never focused on the 400 meters. I ran a total of three 400-meter races throughout my college career, my four years there because, again, I was always focused on the 200 meters. And we were always having to prepare for something-- conference championships, national championships. So there wasn't a lot of time to switch back and forth between the 200 and 400 meters, because I was trying to get my 200 meters improved so I could be ready to try to win conference and national championships. And I was running the 4-by-100-meter and 4-by-400-meter relays. So it wasn't until I actually finished and left my college career and started my professional career in 1990 that I started really attacking and running the 400 meters and immediately showed that-- I was ranked number one in the world the first year I started running it. So I knew that I had that potential. And then it was from there for nine years. I knew that I could break the world record. And I was just trying to break that world record. I probably would have broken it much sooner than 1999 had I just focused on the 400 meters. But as you know, throughout my career, I was a 200-meter runner and a 400-meter runner. In the first six years, I really focused more on trying to break the world record in the 200. And it wasn't until after I did that and then I switched and really started to just focus 100% on trying to break that 400-meter world record, which I finally did in 1999.

When I started my professional career in 1990, I began training more specifically for the 400 meters and eventually broke the world record in 1999. My keys to success were focusing on my 200-meter performance throughout college and then using that as a foundation to shift my focus to the 400 meters, and running 4x100 and 4x400 relays to get used to the race distance.

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From 1987 to 1999, I dropped over 3 seconds in my 400 meters. However, it wasn't just about training. In high school, I was primarily a 100-200 meter sprinter and ran on the 4x400 meter relay. I knew I had the potential to be a good 400-meter runner, but my focus was on the 200 meters.

When I started college in 1987, I still didn't prioritize the 400 meters. Throughout my four years at Baylor University, I only ran three 400-meter races due to my focus on the 200 meters and preparing for conference and national championships. I also competed in the 4x100 meter and 4x400 meter relays.

It wasn't until I turned professional in 1990 that I began to seriously focus on the 400 meters. In my first year, I became ranked number one in the world, proving my potential in the event. From there, for nine years, I knew I had the ability to break the world record and worked towards that goal.

However, during the first six years of my professional career, I still had a dual focus on the 200 meters and 400 meters. I was primarily focused on breaking the world record in the 200 meters. It wasn't until after achieving that goal that I shifted my full attention to breaking the 400-meter world record, which I finally accomplished in 1999.

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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.