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Johnson's book to 'clear' his name

Published:Sunday | May 30, 2010 | 12:00 AM
In this 1988 file photo, Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson and coach Charlie Francis (right), stand on the track at York University during training in Toronto. Francis, who coached Johnson when the sprinter became the first athlete to be stripped of an Olympic gold medal for using banned drugs, died on May 12 at age 61.- AP

Howard Campbell, Gleaner Writer

Sprinter Ben Johnson, the poster boy for steroids in athletics during the 1980s, will release his autobiography in September. Titled Seoul To Soul, distribution will be handled through his website, benjohnsonenterprises.com.

"This is not a finger-pointing book but it will help to clear my name," Johnson, 48, told The Sunday Gleaner from New York last week.

He declined to give details about the book, saying ..."I'll do all the talking when it comes out."

Seoul To Soul took him four years to complete. In it, Johnson revisits the 1988 Olympic Games in Seoul, South Korea, where he was stripped of a gold medal after testing positive for steroids.

Johnson had 'won' the 100 metres, beating a crack field that included his arch-rival Carl Lewis of the United States and Britain's Linford Christie.

startling revelation

Though it is remembered most for the startling revelation of Johnson's drug use, he insists it was the "greatest race ever run".

"It was like a Ali-Frazier fight," he said.

Lewis, who was also one of Johnson's biggest critics, was awarded the gold medal by the International Olympic Committee.

Johnson competed at a time when use of performance-enhancing drugs was widespread in athletics, especially by female athletes from the former East Germany who dominated the sprint events.

His bulky frame made him an imposing figure, but early in his career he developed a reputation for being a 'stopper'.

Johnson has been talking about publishing his memoirs for some time but got little attention from track and field enthusiasts in Canada and the US.

He was born in Falmouth, Trelawny, but immigrated to Toronto, Canada, when he was 15 years old. He represented that country at two Olympics, as well as the Commonwealth Games and World Championships.

first Olympics

His first Olympics was the 1984 games in Los Angeles. Four years later in Seoul, he gained infamy when he tested positive for stanozolol, a performance-enhancing drug.

Johnson was stripped of the gold medal three days after his 'victory' and banned from athletics for two years. His coach, Charlie Francis, was also banned.

After a two-year ban, Johnson returned and even made the Canadian team to the 1992 Olympics in Barcelona, Spain. The following year he tested positive for the banned substance, testosterone, and was given a life ban by the International Association of Athletics Federations.

Johnson says he comments on the recent drug scandals in athletics which brought down big names like American Tim Montgomery and Marion Jones. He lives in Markham, Ontario.