U.S. Sprint Legend ‘Accused of Racism’ After Questioning Nigerian World Record

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson says he was “accused of racism” after publicly questioning the accuracy of times recorded at the World Athletics Championships in Oregon.

Nigerian athlete Tobi Amusman looked visibly stunned when she saw her winning time of 12.12 seconds in the 100m hurdles semi-final on Sunday. Her run at Hayward Field had obliterated the existing world record—set by American Kendra Harrison in 2016—by 0.08 seconds. World Athletics awarded her a $100,000 prize for breaking the record.

But in his analysis for the BBC, sprint legend Johnson questioned the accuracy of the timings in the event. He highlighted the fact that out of the 24 athletes who had competed in the three semi-final events, 12 recorded new personal bests. The recorded level of competition was so high that a time of 12.52 meant competitors wouldn’t even make the final, despite it being a time that would have won the world title at six previous world championships.

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