Johnson pulls up as drama proves lame
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Your support makes all the difference.The answer to the question of who is the fastest man in the world remained open here in the SkyDome last night as Michael Johnson pulled up limping 70 metres from the line in his 150 metres One-to-One Challenge against Donovan Bailey.
The home runner, who had a lead of a metre at the point when Johnson hit trouble, crossed the line looking backwards as his expected competition failed to materialise.
Had Bailey concentrated to the line, he might have beaten the unofficial world best of 14.93; as it was, his time of 15sec was immaterial. By crossing the line first, he earned himself a further $1m (pounds 625,000) to add to his $500,000 appearance money; and the adulation of a 40,000 home crowd.There must surely be a re-match.
Bailey, who received treatment to a calf injury beforehand, had said he was racing under "mental duress" because the 150m track was tighter than he had been led to believe. "We expected a banana, and we got a hook," his coach, Dan Pfaff, said.
The International Amateur Athletic Federation's banning of three US athletes, including Mary Slaney, pending a resolution of reported doping offences increased the pressure on this event to deliver a feelgood factor to revive the sport's fortunes in North America. It did deliver drama, if not of the kind anticipated.
The undercard to the main race produced two stirring contests, with South Africa's Okkert Brits clearing 5.90m to defeat the American Lawrence Johnson in the pole vault, and Ludmila Engquist, of Sweden, overhauling Jamaica's Michelle Freeman to win the 100m hurdles in 12.82sec.
After an opening set from the Blues Brothers, who swept in on Harley Davidson bikes, there was a lower key introduction for the participating athletes.
The big screen image which accompanied Johnson's arrival, which showed him pointing to the USA on his shirt after his Olympic victory , seemed calculated to arouse a buzz of annoyance among the predominantly Canadian crowd; which it did.
But while Johnson put on his biggest smile and greeted each of his fellow athletes with an uncharacteristic swagger, Bailey, who followed him on, did not even break into a grin as the crowd responded to him.
Less than five hours before the race, Bailey complained that the specifications of the track were different to those his agent, Ray Flynn, had agreed with Mondo Sports in February.
"The track in SkyDome is completely different from the track which I visualised in my training over and over every day," his statement read. "My sport depends on mental focus and split second timing, to have the shape of the track changed at the last minute is an egregious miscarriage of the competitive spirit of this competition."
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