ON THE SIDELINES : Ben Johnson Predicts Record Run

Ben Johnson, stripped of his Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters at Seoul, predicts that he can lower the world record upon his return in 1990.

“I believe I can run a 9.6 (seconds),” Johnson said in the mass-circulation Bild newspaper today.

The Canadian sprinter left the Olympics in disgrace last September after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Officials in Seoul also annulled Johnson’s time of 9.79, which would have been a world record.

Bild quoted Johnson as saying he hopes to make his comeback at a meet Sept. 25, 1990, the same day his suspension from international competition expires.

At a Canadian government inquiry in June, Johnson admitted taking drugs for several years. In the interview, however, he would not specifically confirm his drug use.