Johnson still smarting over gold that got away

Michael Johnson has achieved everything an athlete could hope to - but one race still rankles with him nine years on.

The American 200 metre and 400m master has won five Olympic and nine world championship gold medals in a decade-long reign.

But as he approaches his farewell season, Johnson claims that his defeat in the 1992 Olympic Games remains his worst experience in his illustrious track career.

"My biggest regret was coming second at the 1992 Olympic Games," he said.

"The Olympics only come once every four years and I never knew if I would get my chance again."

But Johnson, who hopes to include a UK date in his swansong year on tour, admitted his pride at a ground-breaking career.

"Over a decade I did a lot of things that no one had even thought of before and I am proud of that.

"How I want to be remembered is as a consistent performer over a long period of time."

Johnson believes his finest moment to have been the 1996 Olympics on home soil in Atlanta, when he added 4x400m gold to a 200m and 400m double.

He said: "It was something I was working on for many years and I was successful.

"It was the biggest challenge in my career and I am very proud I pulled it off."