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How does Patrick Johnson's record-smashing run rank against other Australian sporting magic moments, such as Steve Waugh's Test century, Cathy Freeman's Olympic gold and Steve Larkham's winning semi-final drop-goal against South Africa?

Please keep your responses brief and to the point.

This topic is now closed - this is what you said.

To everyone who who has the slighest bad thing to say about running a sub 10's time could you all please post your best times for the hundred. When you can do it then you can be critical.


A supposedlyu patriotic Aussie said "In the greater scheme, this is a slow time, that probably wouldnt even get you in the final at a World championship meeting". GARBAGE!!! I think you'll find the time would have won a medal at most Olympics in fact!! Johnson is not peaking yet and with the adrenalin of a major comp will only improve. He has never been in this sort of form before - to say he hasn't performed in major events to now misses the point (Geez there are some hard markers here!!!). He has never been in this sort of form leading into one. Go Patrick!!!


My girlfriend (much to her chagrin) can attest to the fact that Patrick is indeed not the first Australian to break the 10 second barrier

Quick in the City

It's an awesome achievement. Tall Poppy syndrome in this country or what?? He's done something fantastic and good on him for doing so. I'm ready for my close up on the news tonight when I get home. What a cynical society we've become. Shame on you miserable buggers who denigrate this fine young man.

Norma Desmond

ouch. tall poppy syndrome strikes again

medium-sized gerbera

With Patrick Johnson's scintillating run in Japan, at last Track and Field might get the recognition it deserves. Running is the only sport that everyone (able) in the world attempts at some stage, so to reach the top is the ultimate in sport. Reaching an Olympic 100m final is at least the equivalent of most swimming golds - after all, how many countries take swimming seriously? Maybe 10? What percentage of people in the world (with no disrespect to Grant Hackett who is a marvellous athlete and person) have a crack at swimming 1,500 metres? How often does a Kenyan nobody come up and win the men's 200m butterfly?

Pointless though trying to rank it against other great sporting achievements. I was there for Cathy's run and it will never be topped IMHO for spectator drama and adrenalin (maybe being there when the Wallabies beat the Poms in the final would come close though...)


To all those party poopers, if I remember correctly, only the top three or four runners in the 100m final at the Sydney Olympics were able to run under 10 seconds. And if I also remember correctly, the world record for the 100m held by Tim Montgomery was wind assisted by 2m per second, more than the wind assistance for Patrick. How do you all like those apples!!!


Not sure how it rates against a has-been like Waugh and his career saving century (here's to another couple of years of a give-away wicket) but he and his run are certainly up there with Australia's other greatest living patriot Warnie and 'that' ball. Warnie for President, Johnson for PM!


Who cares? It's oly sport! Sports people need to wake up to themselves and realise they are not important. All those armchair-sportspeople could make some real input to society if they gave as much concern to really important things.

Sports are a waste of time and money unless only for personal enjoyment

Don Bradman - the greatest sportsman of all time

Is Don is good

Even if he never runs again, nobody can take away the fact that he is the first Australian to break 10-seconds for 100m! I wouldnt go near 18 seconds for him on my basketball team!

Kareem Abdul

Comparing or ranking achievements in different sports, or even different eras, is a waste of time. Pat's run was the fastest ever over 100 metres by an Australian and good luck to him. As far as 100 metre running goes it ramks at the very top! Compared to other sporting feats it doesn't compare because it can't compare. How important is it? I don't know - but ask someone who can't put food on their children's table tonight. They might be able to give you a more reliable indicator on how important Pat's feat was.


Did they have to tick a box which asked if he was Aboriginal/Torres Straight Islander and then give him a head start???


ps - only joking!!! Well done!! Maybe with the sponsorship he can afford a car instead of running everywhere......


Why does it have to be that people like 0.03 can't acknowledge a brilliant performance in a certain field. Because you compliment Patrick on a great run does that mean that you have used up all your goodwill for the year? Can we not say well done to Pat, AND also still say Waugh is also a great sportsman, Hollows was a great man etc. A lot of people feel that by acknowledging the run they are somewhat diminishing perhaps more important achievements. Not so!!! Well done Patrick. Great run in your chosen sport - it is something that I have been waiting for see for years!!
And good luck to Shirvo to - we can easily cope with two great sprinters in our ranks!

Mike C

Pat speaks fluent Cantonese, is studying for Masters of International Relations at ANU and has been a Dept Foreign Affairs and Trade Officer for over 8 years. He does have interests outside of his sport, but HELLO! For those who understand and appreciate sport, he is the fastest man this year, this is great!

Ern Malley

I can't belive so much time is put into trying to run as fast as you can in a straight line whaat a waste of time do something more important with it Patrick.


To the guy who said he couldn't care less in 0.03 seconds - all I can say is what a miserable SOB you must be. Bah Humbug - its so easy to denigrate the achievements of others isn't it ? What have you ever done that is so magnanimous ? those that can, do, those that can't talk about it. - By the way maybe for your first achievement, you could try learning to spell.


Who cares, it is just another brain dead moron running in a straight line, do something interesting like find the cure for stupidity, or better still, conduct a study on why middle and lower class Australia, idolises people that all turn out to be drug cheats.
The comment about Shane Warne is ridicules he has been caught cheating with drugs, how many times?

Look I can not care in 0.03 sec, is that a world record

I think it's a great achievement but nowhere near as great as the fact that not a single contributor has managed to work an attack on Howard into Patrick Johnson's record-smashing run......yet ;-)


It is a great achievement that puts Patrick up in the company of world sporting elite. Unfortunately for him, Australians aren't really that interested in athletics - it is really not part of our ethos. If Patrick's achievements were as a cricketer, or a footballer, or a swimmer I'm sure he would be hailed a national hero. Still, well done Patrick! Your people and your nation are justifiably proud of you. If you can translate that form into an olympic sprint medal you may yet become that national hero.


I heard he ran his first ever 'proper' race in barefeet because he didn't have any track shoes- and won.
Is there anything more "Aussie" than that?
Well done mate.

Bill S Preston.

How in the world can people say it doesn't rate? It happened didn't it?
Tall poppy syndrome strikes again.
Oh and you wait for Shirvo to hit his peak, he is only 23 or 24


Once again Australia has proven that we can produce the best and can equal/better any other countries efforts.

Praise should go to his trainers, Family, and Supporters and of course to Patrick Johnson.

Hip Hip Horay

Anyone who says it doesn't rate is a moron. This is the fastest time in the world this year. He's the first Aussie to run under 10 seconds. Do you realise how hard this achievemnt is. More people climb Mount Everest each year, than the total who have run the sub 10 sec. Plus, everyone who ever walked, have tried to run fast. That means running fast has been tried by 99.999999 % of the world's population, and only 39 people have run sub 10 secs, how's that for "doesn't rate" !!!!


He hasn't performed in major meets?? He only started running at age 25, meaning he was only two years into it at Syd 2000, you boofhead. This is one of the few true world class performances by an Australian. This is after all the Athletics 100m, not a first world dominated sport like swimming, triathlon or cricket. He also had more opposition than Cathy had in the Olympic 400m, and closer to the world record (and that goes for all other athletic events). This is a break through in Aussie athletics, so give him his dues.

Colin Jeftha

Congratulations Matthew, I believe it's important that it counts for Matthew, and considering it is breaking thru in an event Australians never have (regardless of whether there was a tail wind or not, or an official race etc). I tell you Australians are called DIGGERS for a reason (as described to me by an old digger in my family) we will do everything in our power to dig ourselves into a whole before we consider how to get out (we like the challenge). Gee's cant we simply take pleasure in this result for Matthew as fellow Australian.

Shirvington, its a shame we heard more about is trouser assets than his running records.

Again, Matthew great run and congratulations, tell them all "Kiss My Ass" literally.


To the drongoes who says Patrick's performance doesn't rate. He's broken ten seconds you idiots! This is an amazing feat for Australia. Who cares about cricket - makes one appreciate watching grass grow. Steve Waugh scored a century - whacky doo - so what! I took four for six in my backyard - cricket is a sport played by - and enjoyed by couch potatoes.

So Patrick - I'm laughing with you at some of the foolish and simply mean comments on this site but hey there's never been a world shortage when it comes to morons.

Well done.


Pinkline Jones

a tall order to beat Steve Waughs century!!!. Johnson needs to run the sub-10sec hundred meters against the worlds best to prove himself.
Shirvo, time to take the pair of socks from your undies and put your money where your mouth is

Well done Patrick!!! need to see you do it again

johnson fan

Goodonya Patrick - it's an awesome achievement by a great Australian. He'll only get better from here on. Look out Athens!


Certainly a brilliant feat which no one can take away from Patrick now. Being the first Australian under 10 s is a great achievement. It probably won't go down as memorable for everyone as it wasn't at an Olympics but if this is just the start then who knows what may happen at Athens. Well done. Greatest moments? For some reason the women's water polo team at the Sydney Olympics springs to mind but perhaps you had to be there. John Eales kicking that pressure penalty to win the Tri-Nations and Bledisloe Cup was a big one. Also you cannot go past the last minute win in the 1999 cricket World Cup semi final against South Africa. Very hard to top.

Best is yet to come

Great performance Patrick Johnson. Omedetou = congratulations in Japanese! Steve Waugh's boring old century (who cares percentage of 100), Shane Warne's fourteenth kebab, and Sam Newman's twelfth black eye don't even rate in comparison. Go Sunline!


Pinkline Jones

OK well I think its fair to say that the SMH has given up. Its New Idea without the colour pictures. What am I supposed to read now?


A fine achievement, but remember it was against a bunch of nobodies and the tail wind was only just legal. Consistent repeats will be the only way to satisfy the sceptics. Can he do it when it really matters when up against the huge mental pressure applied by the best in the world? I very much doubt it. At least this guy is actually an Aussie, unlike several members of the 'Australian' athletics team.


Well done Patrick, you are a Champion.
It didn't excite me as much as beating The Poms in the football(soccer).3-1,3-1,3-1,3-1.......

Chris Fileman

Not only should we be proud of him because he is an Aussie who has acheived something good. But he is also an Indigenous Australian who wears his colours proud.

Go my black brother

Patrick ran 100m in 9.93m? Now that's what I call a world quality time :-)


Steve I

Every sporting acheivement is worthy of note and congratulations, but each acheivement cannot be then lumped into a basket of which is/was the greatest as they are on "different playing grounds", they should be the best track athlete, the best swimmer, cricketer, there is no point is comparing different codes, they all take a lifetime of committment,dedicated training and sacrifice. However footy players are somewhat well down my list of sporting greats.

Bronco Bill

Each of those sporting achievements were in themselves great. Patrick proved himself on the track in Japan and was the best on the day! This time does not pale in comparison to Freeman, Larkham or Waugh. I am pleased for Patrick and he should be damn proud of himself achieving such a great time.


To "A proud and patriotic Aussie", perhaps many of us ARE doing our bit for our country / community / family, etc in our own small way. We just don't get (or want, for that matter) publicity for our actions, especially when our actions compare small in comparison with the actions of others.
I agree, well done Patrick, but keep it in perspective. This notion that the rest of the world must now sit up and take notice of him is farcical. Performers, athletes etc do need large egos and a good measure of self-belief, but sometimes their enthusiasm needs to be kept within the realms of reality.
By the way, how did you know that I have a fat arse?

Norm de Plume

Top effort, but he needs to consistently perform well at the highest level before we can start comparing his efforts with those of some of the greats.

Armchair critic

The legal sub-ten seconds is indeed a magic moment, but I think you should only pencil it into our history. Patrick still has more in him. He'll give us something truly stupendous.

You're magnificent Flash - just like you always said you would be. We're so proud of you.

Sarah ( Wal)

Congratulations to Patrick. Where are you Rick Mitchell? And to all the knockers who say silly things like "it doesnt' count", how about you get off your computer stools and try to be the first Aussie ever to do something!! Still, the fact that we are celebrating someone almost catching up to world class shows how far behind our athletics has been, except for Cathy and a few immigrants like Markov.


fantastic work. Johnson is a true australian legend.shirvo on the other hand has proven time and time again to be high paid pony without the courage of his monsterous convictions. Its amazing how much money the sponsors wasted on him. maybe its time the sponsors back a winner.


Ringo says: It doesn't rate.

What at all!!

This is an Australian citizen that has achieved something that no other Australian has ever achieved.

Only 39 people throughout history have ever achieved this result, and you say it doesn't rate. Interesting...


It's highly significant. If Johnson had the publicity machine that Shirvington has had, everybody would be talking about it. He's done it?no other Australian has.

jeff mckenzie

Nope, it doesn't rate because: 1) he was relaxed, he had no opposition and knew all he had to do was not get disqualified and he'd win the race; 2) there was a substantial tailwind; 3) it wasn't in what could even remotely be called a major championship; 4) when in major championships he hasn't performed.

Congrats Johnson, good run, but reproduce it when it matters.


This must be taken into account in the context of Australian history only. I congratulate him immensely. The first Australian to achieve such, is fantastic.


Congratulations Patrick, you've done yourself and Australia proud.

For any mocking his achievement, lets see you get off ya fat arse and do better!

A proud and patriotic Aussie

Doesn't come even close to MOST of Steve Waugh's centuries, but it's up there!

Was he on fire?

It doesn't rate. Do it against a quality field and do it to win the 100m in Athens and maybe well talk about Sporting Greats.

Ringo (Shirvo's coach)

This has got to rank up there with Kieren Perken's 1500m swim in Atlanta, Cathy Freeman's 400m gold and George Gregan's Bledisloe saving tackle!


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