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Donovan Bailey has dismissed any true "rivalry" with Michael Johnson, stating how he always won races againt the American legend plus the money he made from their famous 150m showdown.
Jamaican-Canadian sprinter Donovan Bailey has dismissed his track ‘rivalry’ with Michael Johnson and explained how the 150m race between him and the American sprint legend came to be.
The former 100m world record holder explained that there was no rivalry between himself and Michael Johnson since every time they raced together, he was always the one winning. Donovan Bailey explained that Michael Johnson bought into the idea that he was faster than him which has not changed since.
Speaking on ‘The Powells’ You Tube Channel, Donovan Bailey said the first time they clashed, in 1994, he beat Michael Johnson. At the event, Michael Johnson would only run in the final but Donovan Bailey competed in all the rounds and still beat the four-time Olympic champion in the final.
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“I’m sitting in the stands, there’s no rivalry then or now…you know, I’m in the 100m and odd list history of the Olympics, I’ve been the only one to break the world record and to not be the fastest man in the world, and Michael said that…I mean, the NBC said that first but Michael bought into the idea and I think to this day. I know that I represent terrible days at his office, every time he stepped up, I mean, I knocked him down,” Donovan Bailey said.
“Michael and I ran together for the first time in 1994 in Germany and he was trying to step down and I think he was actually doing a couple of rounds. My coach and agent told me that Michael Johnson would be running the 100m final but not the heats or any other race…the people were there to see the fastest guys run and I was like he’s sitting in the stands watching us run. I ran and won my heat and then the finals came and I murdered them,” he added.
Donovan Bailey also cited an example of the races between Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell, noting that it would be termed as a rivalry because in such instances, everyone has an equal chance of winning.
He says the 150m race came about after discussions while admitting that from it, he made a lot of money. Competing before a sold-out stadium at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario, Donovan Bailey explained that he knew he had to win the race to prove everyone wrong and he certainly showed, winning in 14.99 seconds.
“There was no rivalry…I appreciate that. Running the 100m, Michael is a 10.1 guy at his greatest thing and then again and he is one of the best endurance athletes to ever walk the face of this earth…world record in the 200m and 400m, no chance can he be in the 100m,” he explained.
“Bob Kersee had said Michael Johnson was the fastest man and I think it was also America, and they were hosting the Olympics. I had just arrived from Texas and broken a world record. They had to build up Michael.”
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19:00 - 30.10.2024
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That was the beginning of the one vs one showdowns that have greatly revolutionalise the sport and ensured athletes have other ways of making money other that the normal meets. Those types of showdowns have also marketed track and field.
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