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Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson has revealed his all-time favorite race highlighting an iconic and historic 200m sprint.
American sprint legend Michael Johnson has raced his way into the history books with a career filled with gold medals and unforgettable performances.
However, when it comes to choosing a favorite race, the four-time Olympic gold medalist does not point to one of his own triumphs.
Instead, he looks back to one of the most iconic moments in sports history — a race that changed the world, both on and off the track.
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Johnson recently took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to express his admiration for the 200m sprint final at the 1968 Summer Olympics, a race that not only crowned Tommie Smith as the fastest man on the planet but also etched a powerful image of protest against racial injustice into the annals of history.
“This is my favorite race of all time!” Johnson wrote in response to a post by Costas Goulas, who detailed the gripping sequence of events that unfolded during that momentous race.
In the 1968 final, American sprinter Tommie Smith surged to victory with a blistering world record time of 19.83 seconds.
His fellow countryman, John Carlos, took an early lead but was overtaken by Smith in the final stretch. Peter Norman of Australia secured silver, finishing just behind the two Americans.
The race was breathtaking, but it was what happened on the podium afterward that made the event truly unforgettable.
Smith and Carlos, both African American, used their platform to make a bold statement against the racial and social injustices plaguing the United States at the time.
With political tension high following the assassinations of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, the two sprinters raised their black-gloved fists in a silent protest as the U.S. national anthem played.
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The image of the raised fists, a gesture of solidarity and defiance, became one of the most iconic photographs in Olympic history.
Despite the magnitude of their achievement on the track, Smith and Carlos paid a heavy price for their protest.
Both were ostracized from the sporting world, their careers cut short as they were banned from future competitions.
Yet, their message endured, and their legacy remains a powerful reminder of the intersection between sports and activism.
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For Johnson, however, it is the race itself — the athletic brilliance on display — that cements this moment as his all-time favorite.
“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,” Goulas tweeted.
Johnson couldn't agree more highlighting how Smith’s impeccable strategy and execution in the final 50 meters of the race stand out as a masterclass in sprinting.
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