Veteran Allen Johnson wins hurdles event

Published February 17, 2008

FAYETTEVILLE, Arkansas, Feb 16: A dozen years after winning gold at the Atlanta Olympics, Allen Johnson was still strong enough to win the 60-meter hurdles at the Tyson Invitational on Friday.

Johnson, who turns 37 on March 1, recovered from a false start to edge Joel Brown in 7.60 seconds.

“Listening to people and watching the people that came before me, I thought when you hit 33, 35 years old, that you feel significantly different than you do at 25,” Johnson said. “So far with me, that’s not been the case.”

Johnson won the 110 hurdles in the 2006 Atlanta Olympics, then finished fourth in 2000 in Sydney. He went to Athens in 2004, but hit a hurdle and fell during the first round of competition.

Johnson’s performance didn’t put him among the top times this year, but he ran fast enough to beat Brown, who finished in 7.64. — AP