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Sporting Witness: The Fastest Man In The World Race

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29/11/2018 GMT

The Fastest Man In The World Race

BBC World Service - Sporting Witness, The Fastest Man In The World Race

How top sprinters Donovan Bailey and Michael Johnson staged a head-to-head race in 1997.

How top sprinters Donovan Bailey of Canada and Michael Johnson of the USA staged a unique head-to-head race in 1997.

In 1997, the reigning 100m Olympic champion, Canada’s Donovan Bailey, and the reigning 200m champion, Michael Johnson of the USA, staged a unique two-man race to settle a dispute about who was really the world’s fastest man. Held over 150 metres at the Skydome arena in Toronto, the atmosphere was more like a boxing match and created massive media interest. Simon Watts talks to the eventual winner, Donovan Bailey, about a victory he considers every bit as sweet as Olympic gold.

PHOTO: Donovan Bailey, left, and Michael Johnson at  promotional event (Getty Images)

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