Johnson Makes Up Lost Time : Track: The runner stripped of his Olympic medal for steroid use is training hard. One month remains on his suspension from competition.

With only one month remaining in his two-year suspension, Ben Johnson is working overtime to make up for lost time.

The Canadian, penalized for testing positive for steroids after his first-place finish in the 100 meters at the 1988 Olympics, is undergoing a rigorous training course at York University in Toronto.

Under new coach Loren Seagrave and the supervision of business adviser Ed Futerman and manager Kameel Azan, the leaner and fitter Johnson has been working out nearly every day and sometimes twice a day. Occasionally, the workouts have lasted six or seven hours.

“We think he’s coming along pretty good,” Futerman said from Toronto. “We don’t want to be overly optimistic, but I’d say he’s about 90% in shape now.

“We’re hoping Ben can run as well as other people think he can.”

Other people are uncertain how fast Johnson can run--when he’s clean. In the Seoul Games, he was timed in 9.79 seconds, a time that would have been a world record. That mark was thrown out when Johnson was thrown out of the Olympics and stripped of his gold medal.

He also ran 9.83 in the 1987 World Championships at Rome. That was accepted as the world record at the time, but eliminated when Johnson testified before a Canadian inquiry on drug use in sports that he had been using drugs for seven years. Thus, the world record stands at 9.92, the time for Carl Lewis, the second-place finisher at Seoul.

“I have no doubt in my mind that I can run fast again,” Johnson said recently. “When I ran 9.83 and 9.79, (steroids) didn’t help me that much. I know what I can do.

“My intention is to come back running fast like I always have.”

Johnson, whose suspension ends Sept. 24, will not get to test his speed in outdoor competition this year. His first comeback race will be indoors, probably at the Hamilton Spectator Games on Jan. 11.

“This kid is very focused--he’s very dedicated to being a winner again,” Futerman said.