SACRAMENTO “”mdash; After a season’s worth of total
precision and complete flawlessness, it would have been impossible
for UCLA senior Sheena Johnson to expect herself to do anything
less than perfect this weekend.
But during Sunday’s 400-meter hurdle finals, Johnson did
more than run a good race.
She announced to the nation that she was not the best 400-meter
hurdler in America, but the best in the world.
At the U.S. Olympic Trials in Sacramento, Johnson won the
400-meter hurdles in 52.95 seconds, lowering the world’s best
time this year by more than half a second.
By finishing in the top three, Johnson earned a berth to the
2004 Olympics in Athens, Greece. Â
“I dreamed of making the team ever since high
school,” Johnson said, relatively calm after the race.
“To actually do it is really special.”
Johnson’s mother, however, held nothing back.
“Watching her today was better than giving birth to
her,” a tearful Jeanie Johnson said.
No longer donning UCLA’s blue and gold, but instead white
and gray from her Nike sponsorship, Johnson shattered the previous
best time in the world set by Jana Pittman of Australia. The two
have gone back and forth setting record times this year. Just last
week, Pittman had topped the previous world-leading time Johnson
held by two tenths of a second.
Pittman’s record time happened to beat the time that
allowed Johnson to capture the NCAA National Championship.
Now, Johnson heads to Athens as the favorite for the gold.
“I know everyone will be coming after me,” Johnson
said. “I guess that means I’m going to have to run
faster. But it makes me feel better that the best athletes are from
my country”
Indeed, Johnson will be joined by good company in Greece. Also
representing the United States will be Brenda Taylor and Lashinda
Demus, who ran 53.36 and 53.43 respectively. Demus was leading near
the end the race, but found trouble when she hit several of the
last hurdles, allowing Johnson and Taylor to fly past her.
“I busted the tenth hurdle up pretty good,” Demus
said. “I screamed “˜Oh, No!’, since everyone was
running by me so fast. But luckily I was still able to maintain my
balance and finish it off.”
Baylor and Demus, along with Johnson, timed new personal
bests.
For Johnson, the road to Athens is not completely settled. She
still has to compete in the 100-meter hurdles next weekend and is
also in contention to be on the 4×400-meter relay team. Johnson
also intends on setting a new world record in her favorite event,
the 400-meter hurdles.
If Johnson does set a new world record in the 400-meter hurdles,
she made a promise to herself that she would begin competing in the
triple jump again, an event that that she did in high school.
According to Greg Foster, an associate of UCLA hurdles coach Bob
Kersee, he believes that the feat is possible.
“As long as she keeps listening to her coach, Sheena could
take that world record,” Foster said. “She’s that
talented and mentally strong.”
After the end of the finals next week, Johnson will continue to
train with Kersee and will travel to Europe where she will compete
in several competitions to prepare for the Olympics.
And once she arrives in Athens?
“I’m there to do only one thing,” Johnson
said. “Win the gold!”