Whatever Michael Johnson runs, Michael Johnson wins.
Johnson, the only athlete ever to be ranked No. 1 in the world in the men's 200 and 400 meters in the same season, extended his winning streak in the 400 to 35 since 1990 at the Pan Africa-USA meet Saturday.In his first 400 of the season, Johnson was impressive, winning in 44.32 seconds, matching the fastest time in the world this year.
Johnson's scintillating performance highlighted the final program of the two-day meet, which also included upset victories by Mark Everett in the men's 800 and Regina Jacobs in the women's 1,500, Dennis Mitchell's win in the men's 100 in a sparkling 9.94 and Gwen Torrence's second triumph of the competition.
The hard-working Johnson, the 1991 world champion and 200 winner at last month's Goodwill Games and the 1993 world champion at 400 meters, caught Antonio Pettigrew at 200 meters and surged into a commanding lead at the 300 mark.
From there on, he pulled away to win by five meters over Pettigrew, the 1991 world champion who was runner-up at 44.88. Quincy Watts, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist, was a late scratch from the 400, but later ran on the winning 1,600-meter relay.
"I accomplished what I set out to do," Johnson said. "I decided in the middle of the season to switch my focus from just the 200.
"I figured I would take the opportunity to try and break the (world) record (43.29) this year.
Johnson, who was ranked No. 1 in the world in the 200 and 400 in 1990, also experimented with the 100 this year, hoping to become the first sprinter to break 10 seconds in the 100, 20 seconds in the 200 and 44 seconds in the 400. But Johnson, with career bests of 19.79 for the 200 and 43.65 for the 400, couldn't crack 10.00 for the 100.
His best this year was 10.09.
Everett, the 1991 World Championship bronze medalist, five-time U.S. champion and two-time Olympian in the 800, is known for his come-from-behind tactics.
Saturday, he surprisingly went to the front immediately and maintained the lead throughout, beating the 1-2 1992 Olympic finishers, William Tanui and Nixon Kiprotich, both of Kenya.
Everett, winning by two meters over Tanui, was timed in 1:44.86, his best of the year.
"The one thing I have been lacking since 1991 is courage," Everett said. "I have always been in good shape physically, but I've been lacking courage.
"Last year, I considered quitting. Then I hooked up with (coach) J.J. Clark and he told me I could be one of the best 800-meter runners ever. He's been mentally staying on me."
Jacobs, the four-time U.S. champion at 1,500 meters, outdueled 1991 world champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Hassiba Boulmerka of Algeria, clocking 4:10.24.
Mitchell, winner of the Goodwill Games 100 last month, blasted out of the blocks quickly as usual and never lost the lead despite a strong challenge from training partner Jon Drummond.
Mitchell's time matched his best of the year and is the second-fastest in the world this season, while Drummond, the runner-up, equalled his career best of 9.99.
Torrence, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist at 200 meters and winner of that event Friday night, took the 100 Saturday at 10.87, third-fastest time in the world this year.
She seized the lead at 20 meters and beat runner-up Mary Onyali of Nigeria by more than two meters.
Meanwhile, the U.S. women's 400-meter relay team of Chryste Gaines, Carlette Guidry, Cheryl Taplin and Dannette Young won in the year's fastest time, 42.45.
Other winners included 1991 world champion Samuel Matete of Zambia in the men's 400 hurdles at 47.90, with Goodwill Games gold medalist Derrick Atkins a distant second at 48.73, and 1991 world champion Kenny Harrison in the triple jump with a wind-aided 57 feet, one-quarter inch, with 1993 world champion and 1992 Olympic gold medalist Michael Conley second at 56-111/2.
The U.S. continued its domination over the Africans, winning the combined team title, 147-115.