Johnson world championship hopes dashed

Michael Johnson's hopes of competing in the Edmonton world championships this August were dashed by the U.S. governing body on Sunday.

The world record holder for the 200 and 400 metres had hoped to compete in the 4x400 metres relay without first running in the U.S. championships.

But in an interview the chairman of the U.S. men's track and field committee John Chaplin said any athlete planning to run in Edmonton "has to go to the (U.S.) meet and run one round in one event".

Chaplin was speaking after a USA Track & Field board of directors' conference call to discuss changing the long-standing rule that all athletes wishing to represent the United States at an Olympic Games or world championships had to compete in the national championships.

Johnson, 33, will make a world farewell tour this year in which he will run relays and non-championship distances only.

"If it's not going to be, I've still got the farewell tour," Johnson said in a telephone interview.

"I never asked for anything special, and I'm never going to. I don't want any controversy to take away from what I want to do this year."

Johnson, who has won five Olympic and nine world titles, said he would have liked to run in world championships relay.

"I'm not going to say it wouldn't be fun for me," he said.

"But it's not a disappointment for me because I'm still doing things that are important to me. I'll still be at the world championships signing autographs and doing other things for fans."