Allen Johnson still persistent on retirement
While the majority of athletic lovers are enjoying the fascinating performances currently being showcased under the flagship of the Samsung Diamond League, in the midst of it all was the outbreak of an extremely saddening as well as shocking piece of news.
Known to the world as a crowned champion in the field of hurdles for seven magnanimous times, Allen Johnson chose to announce his retirement, after providing the world of athletics with a never-ending number of some beautifully articulated performances, and deservingly receiving numerous souvenirs of recognition and appreciation in return.
While one will reminisce about this player in great words, it is hard to argue that his absence on the field will nevertheless amass to a huge loss, not just the display of ornate skills and adept abilities, but also an unchallenged love for the game, a well spirited frame of mind, tremendous physical strength and stamina, and most importantly a sense of modesty excruciatingly hard to discover in any other athlete.
Allen Johnson’s forte was the arena of the one hundred and ten meters hurdle racing, which he was able to sufficiently demonstrate by being awarded with four impressive titles from 1995 to 2003 at World Outdoor Championships. It needs to be reiterated that the only title he was unable to get associated to his name during this period of time was the 1999 World Outdoor Championships, and that too owing to an unfortunate injury that forced to pull out of the tournament, and bid farewell to his dream of another momentous victory.
While his outdoor record speaks volumes about his calibre as a hurdling athlete, his indoor record does not fall behind at all. He accomplished the feat of grabbing gold medals at global events in 1995, 2003 and again in 2004.
Allen Johnson also has to his name an Olympic record; a feat he accomplished in 1995, not only allowing the world of athletics to celebrate him as one of the most unforgettable players who ever set foot on the field, but also the nation of the United States of America to raise its head high in unimagined glory and pride. Finishing the two hundred meters hurdles in a completion time period of a mere 12.95 seconds, he managed to shatter Michael Johnson’s previous record of 19.32 seconds, an occasion that will truly be cherished and held in the highest regard in the world of athletics for decades to arrive.
Even recently, Allen Johnson managed to always live up and in fact surpass the expectations associated with his name; he achieved a memorable victory at the Athens World Cup in 2006, boasting of an undoubtedly impressive completion time of 12.96 seconds.
The World Indoor Championships held in Valencia in 2008 provided Johnson with another reason to rejoice as he achieved the last global medal of his athletic career. These numbers indicate to a great deal of extent why Allen Johnson was heralded as one of the greatest athletes ever known to the world, and why his absence accounts to a huge disappointment. While one will certainly miss the unparalleled performances which Allen Johnson displayed for more than a decade, at the same time one hopes that Johnson will be able to enjoy his retirement to full extent, and with a lifetime full of memories to cherish and beam proudly at, it can be safely said that he surely will.
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