MICHAEL JOHNSON SAYS USAIN BOLT IS ‘THE GREATEST’ AS HE IS NOMINATED FOR LAUREUS SPORTSMAN AWARD
- Laureus Academy Member and athletics legend Michael Johnson predicts Usain Bolt will win more gold medals in Rio Olympics
- Read Johnson’s comments on track and field Nominees – Genzebe Dibaba, Jessica Ennis-Hill, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and David Rudisha Laureus World Sports Awards Ceremony in Berlin on April 18
- Laureus editorial content is available for media use provided credit is given; for example....‘Michael Johnson speaking to Laureus.com’
BERLIN, March 7, 2016 – Laureus World Sports Academy Member and athletics legend Michael Johnson describes Jamaican sprint star Usain Bolt as ‘the greatest’ in an exclusive interview on Laureus.com, after the triple Olympic sprint champion was nominated again for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award.
In the interview, available for media use, Johnson reviews all the track and field Nominees for the 2016 Laureus World Sports Awards and looks ahead to the Rio Olympic Games. Among his comments:
- “Neither Jesse Owens, Carl Lewis or myself has produced, in my opinion, the consistency and longevity that Usain Bolt has and so to this point he has to be considered the greatest. If he’s healthy, I don’t think anyone can stop him in the Rio.”
- “Who can stop Bolt for the Laureus Award? I look at Stephen Curry and what he did last year, winning the NBA Championship, league MVP and just doing unbelievable things, where there are so many great athletes. He still stood out against the field.”
- “There is no reason why Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce should not be right there with Bolt in terms of popularity and what she has been able to do for the sport, other than she hasn’t been able to break the world record.”
- “Jessica Ennis-Hill is the kind of athlete who says ‘if I am gonna be out here, I’m going for it, I’m not making any excuses’ and that’s the sort of attitude that got her the World Championship last year.”
PRINT and ONLINE – to access the transcript of the full Michael Johnson interview go to:
https://www.laureus.com/content/michael-johnson-interview
The 17th Laureus World Sports Awards, which is broadcast to a global TV audience, will be held in the Messe Berlin Palais am Funkturm on the evening of Monday, April 18. To see the full list of Nominees go to: http://lwsa16.laureus.com/nominees/
To apply for media accreditation go to www.laureus.com/accreditation
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