Johnson Wins in Photo Finish : Track: The Canadian sprinter is declared the victor in a 60-meter race in Japan. It is his second triumph in four races since his steroid suspension.

When Ben Johnson won at Osaka in 1985, ’86 and ‘87, the gap between him and the competition was measured in yards.

Today, in Johnson’s fourth comeback race after a two-year suspension for using steroids, judges needed 30 minutes before officially declaring him the winner of the 60-meter dash in a photo finish.

“I was surprised, it was a very tight race,” Johnson said after edging Cuba’s Andres Simon. “I thought he won.”

Simon, the 1989 world indoor champion at 60 meters, easily beat Johnson out of the blocks, and led most of the race. After finishing, Simon raised his arms in a victory gesture.

Yomiuri Chitose Indoor Track and Field Meet officials ruled, however, that while both runners crossed the finish in 6.64 seconds, Johnson’s torso reached the line first.

Johnson was paid $100,000 by meet organizers for his second win in four races since beginning his comeback on Jan. 11.

His time was well off the meet record of 6.56 seconds he set in ‘85, Johnson said he was satisfied and confident that he will once again be the world’s fastest man.

“My body feels normal, but it’s been 27 months,” he said. “The body’s not just like a car that you can turn on and drive off. It’s going to take a while.”

Johnson finished second to American Daron Council in his comeback debut at 50 meters in Hamilton, Ontario. He then lost again at 50 meters in Los Angeles to Andre Cason before coming back to win at 55 meters Jan. 26 in Ottawa. Council finished third in that race.

“In my first races, I was very poor out of the blocks,” said Johnson, who has yet to regain the explosive start that was once his trademark. “But by the end of the indoor season everything should be back to normal, I hope.”

Johnson, scheduled to race next in the Canadian indoor championships on Feb. 16-17, has five indoor meets left, and, with outdoor meets included, plans to race 24 times this year.

“Hopefully, things will get better from here on,” Johnson said. “I’m working very hard in between meets, and things are improving.”

The muscular, 29-year-old sprinter said he has rebuilt his body up to roughly the same level it was before the Seoul Games, and weighs 173 pounds, compared with 175 pounds two years ago.

In a long-awaited rematch, Johnson has signed an agreement to run in Malmo, Sweden, in August in a 100-meter race that also will feature world record holder Carl Lewis and Leroy Burrell, the world’s top sprinter last year.

The last time Lewis and Johnson met was in the final of the Seoul Olympics in 1988, when Johnson won the 100 meters in 9.79 seconds.

Johnson failed the drug test after that race and was stripped of his gold medal and world record, which went to Lewis for his 9.92 second-place finish.