Johnson Second in Track Return : Comebacks: Sprinter is beaten by Florida deputy in the 50 meters. It is his first race since scandal at 1988 Olympics.

Ambushed by drugs once before, Ben Johnson returned to the track after 27 months Friday night and was caught from behind by a former narcotics officer.

Daron Council, a sheriff’s deputy from Gainesville, Fla., who was here only as a last-minute replacement, surprised a stellar field that included Johnson and won the 50 meters in 5.75 seconds Friday night at the Hamilton Spectator Indoor Games.

Johnson, who had an uncharacteristically slow start, was second in 5.77. Mike Marsh of the Santa Monica Track Club was third in 5.79. Marsh ran the fastest race in the world last year at 50 meters, a 5.73. The world record is 5.61.

It was Johnson’s first loss indoors since 1987.

The times were relatively slow, despite the super-charged atmosphere and a crowd of 17,050 at Copps Coliseum. It was Johnson’s first race after serving a two-year ban from competition for taking anabolic steroids. Johnson, who lives in nearby Toronto, had been a national hero to Canadians when he was hailed as the world’s fastest human--the world record-holder at 100 meters and the winner, however briefly, of the 100 at the 1988 Seoul Olympics. It was in Seoul that Johnson, now 29, tested positive for banned drugs. Thus began his exile from track and his public vilification as the symbol of drugs in sport. However, since his reinstatement in September, the Canadian public has re-embraced him. If handmade signs around the arena Friday night can be counted as indicators of public opinion, Johnson is back in the good graces of his public.

And the public made it clear who was the favorite. There were 32 events on the program, but there was little doubt who the record crowd came to see.

The race had an inauspicious start. The athletes were introduced with a maximum of drama and, quite possibly the tension of that pre-race dawdling came back to hurt them.

When the runners were first called to the ‘ready’ position, Council jumped, but the false start was not charged. When the runners again were called to their marks, it was Andre Cason who leaped to a false start, leaving the field--and especially Johnson--sitting in the blocks.

Clearly nerves were dominating the athletes’ bravado as the five men settled in the blocks for the third time. At the gun, Cason came out first, with Johnson a slow third.

“I got caught,” Johnson said.

For the runner with the trademark start, whose incredible reaction time has been the subject of much scientific scrutiny, this start in his comeback race was a disaster.

Cason, in lane four, controlled the race for 35 meters. In the middle of the track Johnson was visibly accelerating. Not so visible in the outside lane was Council who, too, was accelerating. Mike Marsh was slightly behind Johnson on the inside lane.

Johnson and Council appeared to be even, with the edge to Council. At that moment, only slightly more than 12 feet from the finish line, Johnson said he saw a line on the track, which he took for the finish line.

Johnson said he saw the finish line for the 50 yards, which was about 12 feet before the finish line for the 50 meters. “I messed up, I took the wrong line and it cost me,” he said.

Johnson said he was not disappointed by the race, which he had dedicated to his father, Ben Sr., who died last February. “I’m in very good shape,” he said. “But I’m not in very good racing shape. My times will improve over the season.”

For Council, who was running in his first 50-meter race, the joy of winning was made more sweet because he was the overlooked runner in the race. Council, 26, was called late Wednesday to replace his teammate, Dennis Mitchell, who withdrew from the race.

“I knew it was a world-class field,” he said. “I meant a lot to me to win, especially with the crowd cheering on Ben. ‘Ben! Ben! Ben!’ that’s what fired me up. I thank the crowd for that.”

Council recently was transferred from the narcotics division of the Gainesville police department to the community education division. He lectures youths about the dangers of drugs.

“The drugs I saw a lot of were drugs like cocaine and marijuana,” he said. “We didn’t see a lot of anabolic steroids on the street.”