Ben Johnson Sets Record in Victory

Ben Johnson ran to victory in the 55-meter dash of the Ottawa Winternational indoor meet Saturday night, his first victory since the drug-tainted Olympic 100-meter final in 1988.

With about 6,000 fans cheering him on, Johnson hit the finish tape in 6.20 seconds, .01 seconds ahead of Canadian Brian Morrison. In third was Floridian Daron Council, who spoiled Johnson’s celebrated return to track by edging him at 50 meters in the Hamilton, Ontario indoor meet two weeks ago.

“I’ve been out for two years. It takes time to adjust,” Johnson said after receiving a hug from his mother and a standing ovation from the crowd. “I’ll just have to work on my starts.”

Johnson’s time broke the Canadian 55-meter record of 6.21 seconds held by Mark McCoy. Johnson’s national mark of 6.01 had been wiped from the books because of his steroid suspension.