Allen Johnson

PRs: 110H-12.92 (1996); 200m-20.26 (1997); 60mH (i)-7.36 AR(2004)

Career Highlights

 7-time U.S. Outdoor champion ('96, '97, '00, '01, '02, '03, '05); 1996 Olympic gold medalist; 4-time World Outdoor champion ('95, '97, '01, '03); 3-time World Indoor 60mH champion ('95, '03, '04); 2008 World Indoor silver medalist; 4-time U.S. Indoor champ ('95, '02, '03, '04); 1997 World Champs 4x400 gold medalist; 2005 World Outdoor Champs bronze medalist; 1992 NCAA Indoor 55H champ; 1997 Jesse Owens Award winner

Johnson ended the 2007 season ranked #6 in the world in the men’s 110m hurdles by Track & Field News,which extended his consecutive years’ streak ranked globally in the top ten to a remarkable 14 years. During those 14 years Johnson has been ranked in the top five 12 times, and ranked #1 in the world on four occasions. Hampered with a sore left hamstring in his trail leg most of the 2006 season, Johnson produced a sparkling meet-record time of 12.96 seconds to win the 110m hurdles at the IAAF World Cup inAthens, Greece, in September. After posting his fastest time in nearly a decade, Johnson said that he took full advantage of the opportunity to compete in Athens. “The reason why I am here is that my training partner Lashinda Demus and our coach were here," Johnson explained after his race. "I was just here training, then Ryan (Wilson) pulled out. The U.S. officials said, ‘Hey Allen, since you are here, will you run?’ I said, ‘sure’. “I knew that if I ran my race I could win. I wanted to prove the old guy (35) is still there." Johnson became the greatest hurdler in World Championships history on August 30, 2003 in Paris, leading Team USA to a 1-2-4-5 finish in the 110-meter hurdles at the 2003 IAAF World Outdoor Track & Field Championships. It was his record 4th world crown in the hurdles, leading virtually from start to finish, crossing the finish line in 13.12. With the win, he surpassed Greg Foster’s three championships from 1983, ’87, and ’91, and added to his own titles from 1995, ’97 and ’01…Johnson clipped a hurdle and fell during the first round of competition at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, but ended the season with three of the top seven times in the world that year. Suffering from injuries in 2000 and early in 2001, Johnson came back to remind the world that he is the top 110m hurdler, winning the 2001 World Championships and Goodwill Games. A multi-talented performer, the 1996 Olympic champion was recruited out of high school as a decathlete. UNC coach Dennis Craddock gave up on the decathlon idea on discovering that Johnson was too injury prone. During college, he focused on the hurdles and the long jump (8.14m/26-8.5 best). Former hurdle great Charles Foster, then an assistant at North Carolina, taught Johnson much of his early hurdling technique. While watching the ‘92 Olympics on television with his family, Johnson predicted that he would win the ‘96 Olympic gold. Is single; has one daughter, Tristine...in April 1998 sponsored the Allen Johnson High School Invitational at his old high school, Lake Braddock. Johnson led a successful fund drive for a new track surface at Lake Braddock, an act that contributed to him being named USATF’s 1999 Visa Humanitarian of the Year ... says ‘track keeps me busy year-round, except for four weeks after the season when I chill.’...would like to own his own business some day...suffered hamstring injury before 2000 and ankle injury in early 2001. Johnson is blind in his left eye.

2008: 7th at adidas Track Classic (13.83)…World Indoor Champs silver medalist (7.55)…USA Indoor Champs runner-up (7.53)
2007: 7^th at USA Outdoor Championships (13.60)…1^st at Berlin (13.33)…3^rd at Zurich (13.23)…6^th at World Athletic Final (13.36)…best of 13.23.
2006: World Cup champion (12.96)...5^th in semifinals at AT&T USA Outdoors (13.59)…3rd at Nike Prefontaine Classic (13.39)…ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN…best of 12.96.
2005: 1st in 110mH at USA Outdoor Champs (12.99)...World Outdoor Champs bronze medalist (13.10)...1^st at World Athletics Final (13.09)...1st in 110mH at Reebok Grand Prix (13.03)...1st in 60mH at Millrose Games (7.53)...5th in 60m at Millrose Games (6.69)...ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 12.99.
2004: World Indoors gold medalist (7.36 tied AR)...3rd at Olympic Trials 110m hurdles (13.29)...did not finish in opening round at Olympic Games after hitting a hurdle...USA Indoors champion (7.44)...2nd in 110mH at Nike Prefontaine Classic (13.14)...1st at Mt. SAC (13.25)...2nd (13.32) and 4th in 200m at Martinique (20.83)...1st at Banamex (13.08)...1st at US Payton Jordan in 110mH (13.12)...2nd at IAAF Japan Grand Prix (13.13)...1st at Mt. Sac (13.25)...1st in 60m hurdles at Verizon Millrose Games (7.43)...1st in 60mH at Tyson Foods Invitational (7.56)...5th in 60m at Tyson Foods Invitational (6.67)...ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S.)...best of 13.05.
2003: World Outdoor champion (13.12)...USA Indoor champion (7.39)...World Indoor 60mH champion (7.47)...USA Outdoor champion (13.37)...1st at Home Depot Invitational Outdoors (13.20)...1st at Gaz de France (12.97, World Leader)...1st in Lausanne, Switzerland (13.06)...1st at Golden Gala (13.08)...World Outdoor 110mH champion (13.12)...1st at Memorial Van Damme (13.16)...best of 12.97ranked #1 in the world (#1 U.S.) by T&FN.
2002: USA Outdoor champ (13.08)...USA Indoor champ (7.45)...2nd at World Cup (13.45 into a 2.2 mps headwind)...1st at Piraeus (7.50)...1st at Lievin (7.50)...1st at Fort-de-France (13.04, U.S. leader and 2nd fastest in the world)...2nd at Rethymno (13.13)...1st at Prefontaine (13.16)...3rd in Lausanne (13.16)...2nd at Pretoria (13.26)...ranked #2 in the world (#1 U.S.)...best of 13.04AL.
2001: Won third World Outdoor title in fastest time in the world in 2001 (13.04)...USA Outdoor champ (13.22 into strong headwind)...1st at Goodwill Games (13.16)...2nd at Grand Prix Final where he missed the overall Grand Prix title by just one pointwon Paris GP (13.15 beating Olympic gold and silver medalists)...won Bislett Games (13.21)...1st at Norwich Union Challenge (13.31)...1st in Berlin 13.04=WL)...ranked #1 in the world by T&FN...best of 13.04.
2000: 4th at Olympics (13.23)...suffered a hamstring injury competing in Japan just prior to the Olympics, which hindered his performance in Sydney ... won Olympic trials 110H in world-leading 12.97...won adidas D.C. Invitational...won Pontiac Grand Prix (13.34)...won adidas Oregon Track Classic (13.27)...4th at Millrose (7.69)...did not compete at USA Indoor Champs...ranked #2 in world (#1 U.S) by T&FN...best of 12.97.
1999: Injured much of season...2nd at USA Outdoors (13.15w)...dns semis at World Champs (calf injury)...ranked #5 in world (#3 U.S.) by T&FN...best of 13.01.
1998: Skipped hurdles at USA Outdoors to run 200, where he placed second... ran 13.10 or better five times... ranked #2 world (#2 U.S.) by T&FN...ranked #6 in U.S. at 200...bests of 12.98 and 20.54.
1997: Won second world title in 110HH at World Champs, also won second gold as anchor leg in heats for winning 4x400 relay (46.4 split)...won 110HH at USA Outdoors; qualified for 200 semis but did not compete...ranked #1 in world by T&FN...bests of 12.93 and 20.26.
1996: Won gold at Olympic Games (12.95)... won Olympic Trials (12.92) ...2nd in 60HH at USA Indoors... ranked #1 in world by T&FN...bests of 12.92AR and 20.84.
1995: Gold at World Outdoor Champs...also won World Indoors and USA Indoors...snapped Colin Jacksons 32-meet winning streak by beating him in Madrid...2nd at USA Outdoors... runner-up at GP Final...became the fourth man to break 13 seconds for the 110 hurdles...ranked #2 in world and U.S. in hurdles by T&FN...best of 12.98, and also 10.42 in the 100.
1994: 5th in 60HH at USA Indoors... 3rd in 110HH at USA Outdoors... 2nd at World Cup... ranked sixth in world and third in U.S. by T&FN...bests of 13.25 and 20.77.
1993: 2nd in 55H at NCAA Indoors, 11th in LJ... 2nd in LJ at ACC Outdoors... 2nd in 110HH at NCAA Outdoors... 5th at USA Outdoors... 3rd at U.S. Olympic Festival... ranked sixth in U.S. by T&FN...bests of 13.47 and 26-8.5i.
1992: Won 55H at NCAA Indoors... 3rd at NCAA Outdoors... 7th in heats at Olympic Trials...bests of 13.63 and 25-5.25i.
1991: Bests of 14.11, 52.00 (400H), 25-9.25 and 48-4.5.
1990: Bests of 14.4 and 24-2
1989: Won Virginia HS indoor state 55H title... won HJ, LJ, 3rd in 110H at state final outdoors... bests of 14.21, 37.75, 6-11, 24-5.25 and 48-8.