 | SUPERFLY GUY Born: 13 September, 1967 Lives: Dallas, Texas World records: 200m - 19.32 seconds at 1996 Atlanta Olympics; 400m - 43.18 seconds at 1999 World Championships, Seville World Championship CV: 200m - 1991, '95; 400m - 1993, '95, '97, '99; 4x400m relay - gold 1993, '95, '99 Olympic CV: 200m - gold 1996; 400m - gold 1996, 2000; 4x400m relay - gold 1992, 2000 |
Sporting icon, towering Olympian - take your pick, it doesn't really matter because Michael Johnson is both.
The gifted American amassed a staggering five Olympic and nine world championship golds during his domination of men's 200m and 400m in the 1990s.
Sometimes, the media bestows superlative nicknames on athletes before they have been truly earned.
But with Johnson, seemingly aloof and arrogant - but always a sublime runner and fierce competitor - the "Superman" moniker was truly deserved.
Billed as "the new Jesse Owens", Johnson was widely predicted to follow up his 200m worlds win of 1991 with 200m and 4x400m relay golds at the Barcelona Olympics the following year.
He duly delivered in the relay, but food poisoning kept him out of the 200m.
Four years later, though, fate stuck to the script.
Wearing his hallmark gold-coloured running shoes, Johnson - back upright, knees pumping - glided to 400m victory in a new Games record of 43.49 seconds in Atlanta.
Four days on he claimed the 200m title in a world-record time of 19.32 - making him the first man to do the 200m-400m Olympic double.
At the 1999 World Championships in Seville, Johnson wrapped up a big piece of unfinished business when he powered his way to the global 400m mark in 43.18.
He then broke another Olympic barrier in 2000 in Sydney when he defended his 400m title - making him the first to win back-to-back events over the distance.
By the time he bowed out with the sound bite "I came into sport on top and I want to leave that way" in 2001, his place in the history books was sealed.
But how does a legend cope when a new generation comes along hoping to overhaul his efforts?
In truth, it's hard to tell.
These days Johnson mixes punditry - he is an athletics analyst for the BBC - with running a successful sports consultancy.
But he has lost none of the intense charismatic shield that made him such an intimidating opponent.
 Kerron Clement (left) powers his way to the indoor 400m world record |
His major world records still stand. But ask him how he feels about losing his 400m indoor mark to 19-year-old Kerron Clement and he clinically puts the achievement into context.
Florida student Clement clocked 44.57 at last month's National Collegiate Athletic Association's Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Arkansas - overhauling Johnson's 44.63 set in 1995.
Johnson told BBC Sport: "I don't know very much about him other than he was junior world champion last year over 400m hurdles.
"And that's what he is - a 400m hurdler who has been running very well indoors on the flat, along with several other kids in the US, and he ended up breaking a world record.
"He is quoted as saying that he never expected to do it and neither did anyone else.
"No, I'm not surprised that record went in such an understated way because it's indoors - and indoor track and field is not very consistent.
"Indoors you've got over-sized tracks, under-sized tracks, tracks that are banked and tracks that aren't banked and there have been some very, very fast times run consistently this year on that particular track.
"Also, the majority of the indoor records are relatively soft because the indoor season is really a little stopover to outdoors and, in terms of fitness, athletes are often only 50%.
| AMERICA'S YOUNG GUNS Jeremy Wariner: b. Texas, age 20, reigning Olympic 400m champion Allyson Felix: b. California, age 19, 2004 Olympic 200m silver medallist Kerron Clement: b. Trinidad (moved to Texas in 1998), age 19, indoor 400m world record holder (12 March, 2005); 400m hurdles world junior champion (2004) Alan Webb: b. Michigan, age 23, 2004 Olympic trials 1500m champion |
"I think he is one to watch in the future based on the fact he was world junior champion - that's impressive.
"But he's not seen as a wonder kid yet. People are holding back their readiness to anoint a new superstar and they are probably right."
Clement has opted to focus on hurdles this summer - but sooner or later someone, somewhere will surely eclipse Johnson's other landmarks.
When it comes to the 400m, the smart money's on Jeremy Wariner - the 20-year-old who took over Johnson's Olympic crown in Athens in August.
Managed and advised by Johnson and trained by Johnson's former coach Clyde Hart, Wariner came closest to his mentor's Games best when he recorded 44.00 to win in Greece.
But Johnson refuses to put his prot�g� under public pressure.
"Do I have an heir apparent out there? Well, you never know," he said.
"But this is probably the most talented group of athletes coming out of America since my college days - and we had a lot of talent then.
|  Records inspire too and it is only natural that people should want to take mine |
"You never know when an athlete is going to take their natural ability, add serious hard work and commitment and mix it with the mental capacity to learn their event and become a star.
"Improvement always happens in cycles because talent feeds off itself.
"A lot of very good US athletes, like Wariner, Alan Webb and Allyson Felix, have recently come straight out of college and into the pro ranks and been rewarded with decent contracts.
"That inspires others. Athletes are human and money is a motivator.
"Records inspire too and it is only natural that people should want to take mine.
"But I did what I did," continued Johnson, his commanding guard remaining fully intact.
"Now it's over and when you retire you have to accept that there are things that you simply cannot hang onto forever."
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