Million-dollar medallist

Athletics

Michael Johnson, whose achievements at the Atlanta Olympics have opened up an Aladdin's Cave of possible riches for him off the track, yesterday banked pounds 33,000 for winning the 400 metres at the IAAF Grand Prix final in the Civic Arena in Milan, where a total of pounds 2.5m was available in prize-money.

Johnson maintained his dominance over his one-lap rivals, powering away 250m from the finish to leave the rest of the world's top quarter-milers 10 metres adrift. Johnson won in 44.53sec for his 57th consecutive 400m victory since 1989. The rest were left to pick up the crumbs, among them Roger Black, Britain's Olympic silver medallist, who looked weary at the end of a long season as he faded in the home straight to place fifth in 45.42sec, ahead of the Welshman Iwan Thomas (45.45sec).

Johnson, who has been able to command $100,000 appearance fees since his double gold-medal winning feat, could yet be the star attraction in the sport's first $1m challenge race. Ever since Johnson's 19.32sec 200m world record at the Olympics, the debate has raged as to just who is the world's fastest man.

Traditionalists have insisted Donovan Bailey, the Canadian who won the Olympic 100m in a world record 9.84sec, is that man. But when the electronic timekeeping in Atlanta revealed the second half of Johnson's 200m world record was run in just 9.20sec, opinions were divided. The debate became a spat in Berlin a week ago when Johnson claimed the title. "Nobody else can run 24mph," he said. "I think I can," Bailey responded, knowing that at one point during the Olympic final he had reached a top speed of 28mph.

A Toronto promoter has now offered US$1.25m (pounds 825,000) for a match race between the two over 150m in the SkyDome next month. Brad Hunt, Johnson's agent, yesterday faxed a letter of agreement to the promoter, Jim Butler, to accept the challenge, with a seven-day deadline for guarantees to be provided.

But Bailey's manager, the Irishman Ray Flynn, doubts that television deals and the prize pool - $1m to the winner and $250,000 to the runner- up - could be in place in time despite claims that Butler has already booked the 50,000-seat indoor stadium, along with Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young to sing the national anthems. Indications are this clash of sprint heavyweights is more likely to take place on a specially constructed track in the car park of the Las Vegas MGM Grand Hotel, more usually a venue for world-title boxing contests.

Yesterday, it looked increasingly unlikely that any amount of money would persuade Johnson to travel to Sarajevo today for the Solidarity Peace meeting, to be staged in the Bosnian capital tomorrow. Despite pleas from Primo Nebiolo, the president of the International Athletics Federation, Johnson seemed more likely to listen to a more influential voice. Ruby Johnson phoned her son yesterday, asking him not to go, saying she was concerned for his safety in a city which, until nine months ago, was the centre of civil war.