Michael Johnson the American who was the first athlete to win 200m and 400m gold medals in the same Olympics — achieved first at Atlanta and again four years later in Sydney in 2000 — said one of the current major topics in sport was who was going to finish top of the Olympics medals table in Beijing next year.

Michael Johnson said, ‘The US has finished at the top for the last few Olympics, but now there is talk that China can surpass the US and end its dominance. However, I don’t think that is going to happen.

‘And everyone wants to know how Britain is going to finish. . . well it is not going to be pretty. This is because there has been a huge lapse since the days of Coe, Ovett and Cram and then the next generation of Linford Christie, Sally Gunnell, John Regis and Colin Jackson.

‘I think Beijing is going to be difficult for the British.’
Source: ICWales