John REGIS

John Regis had ended 1993 on a high note, finishing second in the 200m behind Frankie Fredericks (Namibia) at the World Championships in Stuttgart, in a new personal best time of 19.94sec. The following year John improved this time still further, clocking a career best of 19.87sec when he defeated Fredericks at the high altitude resort of Sestriere on 31 July. Although this made Regis the firm favourite for the 200m title at the European Championships less than two weeks later, he unfortunately had to withdraw due to an Achilles injury. Regis recovered sufficiently to compete at the Commonwealth Games in Victoria in late August, where he won the silver medal in the 200m, again finishing behind Fredericks.

They again duelled at the World Cup in London on 11 September, where Regis won the 200m title from Fredericks in 20.45sec. The following year, Regis competed in his fourth World Championships, in Gothenburg, where he advanced easily through his quarter-final (see photo above) on 10 August, but only just managed to qualify for the final the following day when he finished fourth in his semi-final, clocking the same time as fifth-placed Damien Marsh (Australia). Predictably, Regis was not a major factor in the final, finishing 7th behind the winner Michael Johnson (USA).

It was obvious that age and the emerging talent of a new generation of sprinters were catching up to Regis, and despite winning his sixth and final AAA 200m title in 1996, he was unable to advance past the quarter-finals at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. John's last appearance at a major international championships occurred at the 1998 Commonwealth Games in Kuala Lumpur, where less than four weeks short of his 32nd birthday, he won the bronze medal in his fourth Commonwealth Games 200m final. (Ron Casey)

Men's 200m. Final

Commonwealth Games 1994

Men's 200m. final

Commonwealth Games 1998