Michael Johnson is a former world record holder in the 200 and 400 meter sprints, and until recently had 5 Olympic gold medals. Now, however, he only has 4 Olympic gold medals.
How did you lose a medal? Was it because he was caught cheating? Was he found to have skimped on his efforts or taken performance-enhancing drugs?
No, of course not, Michael Johnson has always been a serious guy.
Michael Johnson didn’t cheat, but his teammates did, so he gave up one of his Olympic medals, giving it back voluntarily now that he knows he didn’t get it legally.
At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, 3 of the 4 runners in the 1600 m relay were coached by Trevor Graham. At one of Graham’s trials, Antonio Pettigrew admitted to receiving performance-enhancing drugs from Graham. This means that Michael Johnson was the only clean athlete on the relay team.
Johnson said he is “deeply disappointed in Antonio and in the sport of track and field. I now realize that there have been a significant number of athletes and coaches in this sport who have cheated and taken the shortcut, and many of them knew who more was”. to cheat. But now, I feel like I’ve been naive. I know the medal was not earned fairly and it is dirty, so I have moved it from where I have always kept my medals because it doesn’t belong there. . And it doesn’t belong to me.”
This has to be a blow for Johnson, and I’m sorry he has to give up his medal. However, he did the right thing by returning the medal and it is just further proof that he has exceptional character that is rare.
Michael Johnson will be able to look back on his career with pride and know that he was able to do what very few people could, because even after returning his medal, he still has more gold medals than most Olympians who never win. no medal. , either bronze, silver gold gold. And while records are made to be broken, he also had some very impressive ones for a long time.
I hope that your return of the medal will serve as a good example for the next generation of athletes and that they will not only stay clean but also act with integrity and honor in all circumstances, whether it involves illegal drugs or not.
