My hero: Lolo Jones on Allen Johnson
Before competing at this weekend's Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham, the 2008 World Indoor 60m hurdles champion Lolo Jones spoke to spikesmag.com about her total respect and admiration for 1996 Olympic 110m hurdles gold medallist and four-time World 110m hurdles champion Allen Johnson.
"In track and field I most admire Allen because I have watched him growing up.
I remember Allen, specifically, at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. I remember how he carried himself on TV and how he represented himself and his country was amazing.
"I didn’t meet him until recent years, but he’s a genuine very nice person and when I came over on the circuit he offered help and did I have any questions. He came up and offered some advice with no strings attached.
He said, ‘I’m Allen, if you need anything just ask me’. I remember being blown away by his character.
"Over the last few years he’s been injured and not on top of the world but
the way he has carried himself during the rough times has been amazing. He hasn’t talked bad about anything and he has really worked hard to try to regain being on top. He is a true competitor.
"The first time I remember watching him was at the Atlanta Olympics when I was at Middle School and I had just started running the hurdles at summer track team. I remember him more than the female hurdlers.
I can’t remember one female hurdler from the Atlanta Olympics, but I remember Allen.
"One year he struggled with injury and hardly ran – but somehow he came back and won Zurich and I thought that was amazing.
"
More than anything else I’ve been impressed by his longevity. You see so many athletes come on to the circuit maybe have a 2 to 4 year span but Allen has been on the circuit more than 15 years... he is obviously an athlete who has looked after his body and done all the right things."
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