Quick Info
| Profession | Former sprinter |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Canadian |
| Date of Birth | 30/12/1961 |
| Age | 64 years |
| Birthplace | Falmouth, Trelawny Parish, Jamaica |
| Zodiac Sign | Capricorn |
Latest News about Ben Johnson
12/04/2026
Canadian Running Magazine reported that the mockumentary received positive reviews for its comedic take on one of the most scrutinised moments in Canadian sport. Johnson told CBC that what happened to his career had become a joke to him. The series follows his life and career from a different perspective than earlier serious retellings.
26/03/2026
A six-part satirical sports comedy series titled Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story premiered on GameTV in Canada, with Shamier Anderson playing the sprinter. The show retells his 1988 Seoul Olympic downfall in a mockumentary style. Johnson said he was comfortable with the comedic approach and wanted audiences to hear his side of his career.
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Bio/Wiki
| Summary | Benjamin Sinclair Johnson Jr. is a Jamaican-born Canadian former sprinter who competed mainly in the 60 m, 100 m and 200 m. He held the 100 m world record after his 1988 Olympic run, which was later annulled after a doping disqualification. |
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| Recognition | He was Canada's leading sprinter in the mid-1980s and is known internationally for the 1988 Seoul Olympic scandal. His life story was later dramatised in the 2026 satirical mockumentary series Hate the Player: The Ben Johnson Story. |
Physical Stats & More
| Height | 177 cm |
|---|---|
| Weight | 75 kg |
Personal Life
| Immigration | Moved from Jamaica to Canada in 1976 |
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Relationships & More
| Coach | Charlie Francis |
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Career
| Won two silver medals at the Commonwealth Games in Brisbane (100 m and 4 x 100 m relay) | |
| Won bronze in the 100 m and bronze in the 4 x 100 m relay at the Los Angeles Olympics | |
| Won gold in the 60 m at the World Indoor Championships in Paris | |
| Won gold in the 100 m at the Goodwill Games and at the Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh | |
| Won the 100 m at the World Championships in Rome, later disqualified for doping | |
| Won the 100 m at the Seoul Olympics in a world-record time of 9.79 seconds, then disqualified and stripped of the gold medal | |
| Post-ban | Received a lifetime ban from athletics after a later positive test; attempted comebacks in the 1990s without regaining his earlier form |
|---|---|
Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. He initially trained at the Scarborough Optimists track and field club, with sessions at York University. | |
| 2. He was raised in the Toronto area after moving to Canada as a teenager. | |
| 3. He was the first sprinter to break the 9.9 and 9.8 second barriers in the 100 m. | |
| 4. Canadian author Mary Ormsby researched his life for the book World's Fastest Man: The Incredible Life of Ben Johnson, published in 2024. |
