THE SEOUL GAMES / DAY 8 : 9.79 : In 100 of Century, Johnson Smashes Lewis and Record

It was said that the world record of 9.83 seconds set by Canada’s Ben Johnson in the 100 meters last year would stand for years. It was said that even if someone broke it sooner, it wouldn’t be Johnson. It was said that he was injured and confused and couldn’t beat the cocksure American, Carl Lewis.

But Johnson had the final say Saturday before a crowd that filled the 70,000-seat Olympic Stadium close to capacity, and he ended it with an exclamation point.

Johnson did break the world record, running a remarkable 9.79; he did beat Lewis, and he did win the Olympic gold medal.

It was the fastest 100-meter race in history as four men needed less than 10 seconds to finish.

Lewis, foiled in his attempt to become the first man to win the 100 in two Olympics, broke the American record and finished second in 9.92. Great Britain’s Linford Christie became the first European to run under 10 seconds, finishing third in 9.97. Calvin Smith, a former world-record holder who shared the American record with Lewis before Saturday at 9.93, finished fourth in 9.99.

Johnson beat them all. Easily.

His margin of victory was the largest in the Olympic 100 since automatic timing was introduced in 1968. Before that, when races were hand-timed with a stopwatch, American Bob Hayes had the largest margin, winning by 2/10 of a second in 1964. If the results Saturday were converted to hand time, Johnson’s margin over Lewis also would have been 2/10.

Lewis stopped short of calling it a great race.

“You can’t have a great race with one person,” he said.

Immediately after the race, Lewis said that he believed he was beaten by Johnson’s legendary start.

Johnson’s start in the World Championships at Rome last summer, when he ran 9.83 and beat Lewis by a full 10th of a second, was a point of contention for more than a year. The International Amateur Athletic Federation (IAAF), which governs track and field, announced only last week that its review of the race was complete and that Johnson’s start was legal.

“He must have gotten a real flyer,” Lewis said Saturday. “He was way out in front, just like in Rome.”

But according to Swiss Timing, Johnson’s reaction time to the gun, while still the fastest in the race, was not as fast as it was in Rome, and Lewis’ reaction time, which has never been the best part of his race, was only slightly slower. It was considerably faster than it was when he won the gold medal four years ago in Los Angeles, a race in which Johnson finished third.

Johnson, compact but heavily muscled, simply overpowered Lewis.

Lewis must have realized that about 70 meters into the race when he glanced at Johnson, who was running undistracted in Lane 6, three over from the American. Lewis glanced twice more before the race ended, only to be disappointed that he wasn’t gaining ground.

“I didn’t really see him until the last 30 meters, so I don’t know much about his race,” Lewis said later. “He ran a great race, obviously, but I’m very pleased with my race.

“I feel I went out and did my best. That’s all I can do. I set the American record, which is something.”

Johnson glanced at Lewis once briefly during the race, was satisfied that he wouldn’t be challenged and focused on the finish line, which he crossed with his right fist raised.

It had to be a moment of vindication for Johnson, the brooding champion who has not held up well either physically or mentally under the pressure of being the world’s fastest man. At least, that was the conventional wisdom before Saturday.

Since last summer, he’s had difficulties with the Canadian government over taxes, difficulties handling his money, difficulties with girlfiends and difficulties with his manager and his coach.

Of at least equal concern were the injuries he sustained this year, a hamstring pull during the indoor season and a torn Achilles’ tendon this summer.

When he returned to competition, he talked faster than he ran. In a much-anticipated rematch with Lewis Aug. 17 at Zurich, Switzerland, their first meeting since the previous August in the World Championships, Johnson finished third. Lewis was first, Smith second. Less than a week later, in Cologne, West Germany, Johnson again finished third, this time behind Smith and American Dennis Mitchell.

Johnson went home to Toronto, where he has lived since moving from Jamaica when he was 13, and concentrated on training. The reports were good. Awesome, actually.

His coach, Charlie Francis, said, “He’s faster than ever, so fast it’s scary.”

A Canadian track and field promoter, Ken Porter, said: “Scary? It’s almost dangerous. They’re trying to rein him in.”

Johnson predicted that he would run between 9.76 and 9.78 at the Olympics.

But in the three rounds leading to Saturday’s final, Lewis appeared to be more fit. Johnson finished third behind Christie and Mitchell in his quarterfinal heat Friday. Although he won his semifinal heat earlier Saturday, his time of 10.03 was not as fast as the 9.97 that Lewis ran to win his semifinal.

Still, it was the most anticipated event of the Olympics. Among the crowd was South Korean President Roh Tae Woo and President Juan Antonio Samaranch of the International Olympic Committee.

Samaranch presented the gold medal to Johnson, Canada’s first in the 100 meters since Percy Williams won in 1928.

MEN’S 100-METER WORLD-RECORD PROGRESSION Fully Automatic Timing

MARK NAME COUNTRY YEAR 10.38 Eddie Tolan United States 1932 10.25 Armin Hary West Germany 1960 10.06 Bob Hayes United States 1964 10.03 Jim Hines United States 1968 9.95 Jim Hines United States 1968 9.93 Calvin Smith United States 1983 9.83 Ben Johnson Canada 1987 9.79 Ben Johnson Canada 1988

LEWIS vs. JOHNSON The head-to-head outdoor races between Carl Lewis of the United States and Ben Johnson of Canada in the 100-meter dash. Lewis leads the series, 9-7.

DATE SITE April 29, 1980 Sudbury, Canada Aug. 20, 1982 Berlin Aug. 22, 1982 Cologne, West Germany Aug. 4, 1984 Los Angeles Aug. 20, 1984 Budapest, Hungary Aug. 22, 1984 Zurich, Switzerland May 11, 1985 Modesto Aug. 21, 1985 Zurich, Switzerland Aug. 25, 1985 Cologne, West Germany May 31, 1986 San Jose July 9, 1986 Moscow Aug. 13, 1986 Zurich, Switzerland May 28, 1987 Seville, Spain Aug. 31, 1987 Rome Aug. 17, 1988 Zurich, Switzerland Sept. 24, 1988 Seoul, South Korea

DATE FINISH, TIME April 29, 1980 Lewis, 1st, 10.43 seconds; Johnson, 6th, 10.88 Aug. 20, 1982 Lewis, 1st, 10.08; Johnson, 8th, 10.61 Aug. 22, 1982 Lewis, 1st, 10.47; Johnson, 4th, 10.55 Aug. 4, 1984 Lewis, 1st, 9.99; Johnson, 3rd, 10.22 Aug. 20, 1984 Lewis, 1st, 10.05; Johnson, 4th, 10.33 Aug. 22, 1984 Lewis, 1st, 9.99; Johnson, 3rd, 10.12 May 11, 1985 Lewis, 1st, 9.98; Johnson, 4th, 10.16 Aug. 21, 1985 Johnson, 1st, 10.18; Lewis, 4th, 10.31 Aug. 25, 1985 Lewis, 2nd, 10.27; Johnson, 3rd, 10.29 May 31, 1986 Johnson, 1st, 10.01; Lewis, 2nd, 10.18. July 9, 1986 Johnson, 1st, 9.95; Lewis, 3rd, 10.06 Aug. 13, 1986 Johnson, 1st, 10.03; Lewis, 3rd, 10.25 May 28, 1987 Johnson, 1st, 10.06; Lewis, 2nd, 10.07 Aug. 31, 1987 Johnson, 1st, 9.83; Lewis, 2nd, 9.93 Aug. 17, 1988 Lewis, 1st, 9.93; Johnson, 3rd, 10.00 Sept. 24, 1988 Johnson, 1st, 9.79; Lewis, 2nd, 9.92