Ben Johnson: refueled and ready to run again

JULIA TIERNAN/YH Ben Johnson sat down with the 'Herald' to discuss his newfound role as an anti-drug spokesman and his petition for competitive reinstatement.

Ben Johnson, the Canadian sprinter who was stripped of his gold medal after testing positive for drug use during the 1988 Seoul Olympics, is timing to stage a comeback. He and his new agent, Morris Chrobotek, are challenging Johnson's lifetime ban from competition, a punishment both consider draconian. Invited by the Yale College Association of Canadian Students, Johnson spoke at a Berkeley College Master's Tea on Tues., Nov. 3, about his plans to return to the sport as both an athlete and a spokesperson against drug use. In an exclusive interview with the Herald on Wed., Nov. 4, Johnson--clad in a Yale sweatshirt--elaborated on this new dual role, his hopes for the future, and the personal preparation techniques that he believes will continue to be the key to his success.

Yale Herald: How did you get involved in track and field?

Ben Johnson: I got involved 22 years ago because my brother was in a track and field club. The coach asked if I would like to try out. I was 90 pounds and really skinny, so it was difficult for me to do the workouts; all the other guys were older and more advanced. I quit for a few weeks, but eventually went back and worked out a new training schedule with my coach. As time went on, I traveled, ran races, started winning. Being the fastest man in the world became my career goal.

YH: After being stripped of your gold medal and banned from track, you're now trying to stage a comeback and establish yourself as a spokesperson against drugs in sports. What new goals go along with this role?

BJ: Just to make people aware that there are drugs in sports. I came from a country [Jamaica] where there's a lot of drug use. I could have been smoking marijuana, but I was never part of that. I came to Canada and was brought into a system--the international track scene--where there were drugs in sports. In 1988, I wasn't the only one of the athletes who was on drugs. I'm trying to correct the problem that has damaged my career for so long. I was used as an example. I'm paying the price for the rest of the athletes today using drugs. I want to help in any way I can to ensure that kids and athletes are aware and know not to take drugs.

YH: You've said that mental preparation has been a huge part of your development and success as a sprinter. Did you learn these techniques from sports therapists like many elite athletes do or was mental preparation something that you recognized yourself?

BJ: It's something I came to on my own, the need to train my mind and body together. It took about five or six years to develop the necessary mental endurance and strength that allowed me to ignore the many problems athletes face--jet lag and traveling, time changes, and so on.

YH: In the immediate time leading up to a race, what are the specific things you do to prepare?

BJ: I stay alone. In Seoul, I didn't see anybody for 48 hours beforehand, not even my coach. Every time you do something--walk or get up and chitchat--you use energy. That is why I didn't even go to the opening ceremony. A lot of the athletes were out in the sun for three or four hours. When it was time to race, they were still recharging. Meanwhile, all my energy was compacted and ready to burst like a volcano.

YH::In comparison to other more spectator-oriented sports, track and field doesn't receive much media attention. What do you think can be done to help bring the sport into the public eye more than once or twice a year?

BJ: Take the boxing stuff in Las Vegas, for example. You could put four lanes in the middle of the stands, have the boxing ring on one side and the straightaway on the other. It could be a great event. You can do a lot with that, but it depends on who wants to put in the money, get the athletes, organize everything.

YH: Obviously, every athlete plays to win, but when you're running, what exactly are you running for?

BJ: I run against the clock. Of course, you can't really beat a clock, but you can run try to run the fastest possible time. Once you do that, the rest takes care of itself. My motivation to win doesn't come from the other individuals in the field. I race the clock and let them all race me.

YH: Do you think that the future of track and field as a spectator sport depends on big personalities, like Michael Johnson--people who are more willing to put themselves in the public eye?

BJ: Sure, a little bit. I mean, the Americans are always flashy--Jim Sanford, Carl Lewis, Kirk Baptiste. I always put it in the back of my mind. Yeah, they're flashy, but I'm going to beat them. Everybody wants to watch that. It makes for a good race.

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