5 male sprinters besides Usain Bolt who deserve to be in the GOAT conversation

#2 Michael Johnson

Michael Johnson

So far, the sprinters on this list have been so-called "short sprinters", specializing in the 100m and possibly doubling in the 200m. Michael Johnson is a former "long sprinter", excelling in the 200m and 400m dash.

Johnson's moment of glory came during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. He was set to compete in the 400m and 200m. To save energy for the shorter race, he says, he ran a "conservative" 400m in the Olympic final.

Not only was that more than enough to pull past the competition, he also set an Olympic record (43.49s). Going easy for the first race paid off, as Johnson finished the 200m final in a blazing 19.32s, shattering his own previous mark of 19.66s.

Three years later, Johnson went on to obliterate the WR in the 400m, setting a time of 43.19s. In March 2000, he cemented his status as the quintessential long sprinter, by setting a 300m WR of 30.85s.

It took the combined efforts of Usain Bolt and Wayde van Niekerk over a decade later to improve on the times set by Johnson in all three events.

His diligence, methodical approach and focused demeanor led to him being at the top of his game almost throughout his career. His conditioning was so otherworldly that he rarely seemed fatigued after a race, be it a Diamond League meet or a World Championships final.