AT THE age of 71, Clyde Hart thought he might have been retired by now, enjoying the odd game of golf. As the coach who helped Michael Johnson to become the greatest 200/400 metres runner the world has known, and after more than 40 years in the sport, the time had come for Hart to put his feet up. Then along came Jeremy Wariner.

White he may be, but Wariner is the man they call the new Johnson, the one who is expected this evening to put behind him his defeat by Tim Benjamin in the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace three weeks ago and add the world title to the Olympic gold medal he won in Athens last year. He is only 21 and, like Johnson, a Texan.

The exertion of heats and semi-finals in the past three days is expected to count against Benjamin, who is a slender podium prospect as Britain seek their first medal in Helsinki, and in Wariner’s favour. Wariner even talks of breaking Johnson’s world record, albeit not here.

“Hopefully I can get down to the world record sooner or later,” Wariner said. “I would like it to be in the next couple of years but coach Hart reckons four or five years.”

While Johnson’s 200 metres world record of 19.32sec looks untouchable, Hart believes that his one-lap mark of 43.18 “should have been lower”.

The driving force behind Wariner is Team Johnson. Not only has Hart been kept out of retirement, Johnson is Wariner’s manager, negotiating his commercial contracts, and Dale Smith is his physiotherapist, as he was for the double Olympic and four-times 400 metres world champion.

Johnson effectively retired from racing five years ago. “I probably figured that after 2000, I would be retired and out playing golf,” Hart said. “I never dreamed I would get another youngster that I felt had a chance to do similar things as Michael. Obviously a guy who can run 44.00sec (in the Olympic final) at 20 has got a chance.

“There is not as much similarity between them as a lot of people would imagine,” Hart said. “They are both Olympic champions but Jeremy did it age 20, Michael at 28. Jeremy ran faster 200 times as a schoolboy than Michael — quite a bit faster.

“Their style of running is totally different. Michael was upright, with very fast turnover. Jeremy is more fluid, more classic, with longer legs. Probably the biggest similarity is that they both get the job done. They do not worry a lot. A lot of athletes sit around the whole day worrying about the race, using energy.

“Michael has been good about talking to him about approaching big races and how to handle the pressure but he has pretty much stayed out of the coaching aspect.”

While Wariner follows in Johnson’s footsteps, Justin Gatlin last night traced Maurice Greene’s tracks, becoming only the second man to achieve a World Championships 100 and 200 metres double. Gatlin won the 200 metres in 20.04sec as Americans took the top four places. Wallace Spearmon was second, John Capel third and Tyson Gay fourth.