RIO DE JANEIRO—You might notice a bit of trash-talk going back and forth, at times, between former Olympic champion Michael Johnson, and current the current grand poobah of men’s track and field, Usain Bolt. When South African Wayde Van Niekirk broke Johnson’s 17-year-old record in the 400 meters on Sunday, Bolt said in a television interview that, “I know Michael Johnson is not going to be happy.”
The dig, rest assured, was good-natured. Johnson has worked with Jamaican runners as a coach, and knows Bolt well. “He is a good friend and a great athlete,” Johnson said, “and I would love to see him win.