"A major inspiration"- Michael Johnson pays tribute to former Olympic champion and world record holder Tommie Smith on his 80th birthday

Michael Johnson paid tribute to retired track and field athlete and NFL wide receiver Tommie Smith on his 80th birthday on June 6.

Smith is renowned for his world record which he established during the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico, clocking a sensational 19.83s in the 200m finals, to secure a comprehensive victory ahead of Australia’s Peter Norman (20.06s) and compatriot John Carlos (20.10s).

However, the race is not only widely popular for the world record achieved by Smith but also for the gesture displayed by him and the bronze medalist Carlos during the medal ceremony as they lifted their hands in which they were wearing black gloves and bowed their heads till the end of the USA national anthem. Smith later described this act as a human rights gesture in his autobiography, "Silent Gesture."

Michael Johnson recently honored Tommie Smith by sharing a post about him on X (formerly Twitter) on the retired athlete’s 80th birthday, adding:

“One of the greatest! And a major inspiration. Made me believe 200/400 double was possible.”

Besides being an Olympic champion, Smith is a two-time FISU World University Games medalist, having clinched the gold medal in 200m and silver medal in 100m at the 1967 Tokyo edition of the tournament.

Tommie Smith’s career saw him register personal bests of 10.45s, 45.25s, and 7.90m in the men’s 100m, 400m, and long jump events (wind-legal), respectively. He was also the NCAA champion in the 200m as he recorded a time of 20.14s to win the event in 1967.

Michael Johnson achieved a sprint double in 200m/400m in 1996 Atlanta Olympics and 1995 Goteborg World Championships

A portrait of Olympic and IAAF World Championship Gold medal winning 200 metres and 400 metres sprinter Michael Johnson of the United States on 20 June 2000 at Waco, Texas, United States. (Photo by Mike Powell/Getty Images)

Michael Johnson, one of the greatest athletes that track and field has ever produced, accomplished a sprint double on both the Olympics and World Championships stages.

At the 1995 World Championships held in Goteborg, he bagged the gold medals in the 200m and 400m events, clocking times of 19.79s and 43.39s, respectively.

Johnson went on display his brilliance at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, where he again replicated his sprint double performance in the 200m and 400m after sprinting to victory with times of 19.32s and 43.49s, respectively.