Michael Johnson, Crystal Ball Gazer

Here at The Olympics Blog, we love it when someone makes a prediction regarding the Beijing Games. Why? Because come August, we will either jeer that person when it turns out that s/he got it wrong or bow before him/her if s/he proves to be as good as Nostradamus.

Anyways, according to a Reuters report, five-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson made the following predictions:

* American sprinter Tyson Gay will beat Asafa Powell in the 100 meter dash.

* American Jeremy Wariner, who Johnson manages, will win the Beijing 400 meters and some day break Johnson’s world record of 43.18 seconds.

* Ethiopian world record holder Haile Gebrselassie will change his mind and run the Olympic marathon.

* Sweden’s Susanna Kallur will defeat two-times U.S. world champion Michelle Perry for the women’s 100 meters hurdles gold medal.

* World 200 meters champion Allyson Felix of the U.S. can become better than 1996 French Olympic 200/400 metres gold medallist Marie-Jose Perec. (The Beijing schedule rules out that double at August’s Games).

* Merlene Ottey, the Jamaican-born Slovenian, will make her eighth Olympics at age 48. “Her career has been amazing,” Johnson said. “She’s an example of a real hero in the sport.”

Do you think Johnson will get a gold medal for his forecasting abilities? He’s got many gold medals already but he deserves another if all of the above happens as he says they will.