Goodbye, golden shoes. As the Olympic stadium glowed and shook in the voltage of Cathy Freeman's historical strides, Michael Johnson steadily, almost quietly, high-trotted his way into the realm of legend.

The 400 metres world record holder defended the Olympic title he claimed in Atlanta in a time of 43.85 seconds, easing past his compatriot Alvin Harrison and relaxing back into his famous, stiff-backed stride on the home straight. He became the first man to win the 400 metres title at successive Olympics.

There was little of the outrageous panache that marked him out as the superstar four years ago. This was a more reflective Johnson, and afterwards he hinted that he is ready to hang up those famous running shoes for good.

"I was here to defend my last individual race in the Olympic Games. This is my last major competition. I ain't thinkin' of the World Championships or anything else, I'm just thinkin' of getting back to my wife and young child."

It must have been a strange sensation for Johnson to enter the stadium with the lens of the world directed elsewhere. Four years ago, the Dallas star, brash and sweet-talking and frighteningly fast, was the story. "Yeah, I had my time," he said after his medal ceremony. "And it's not something I would want to go through again . . . For Cathy (Freeman) and Marion (Jones), well, these Games are theirs and I understand the pressure they are under and they both did an excellent job. "You know, I was motivated by Cathy there tonight - she drew lane six, same as me - and it was good that our race was straight after hers, there was a tremendous energy in the stadium that probably made our race better."

Over the last decade, Johnson established himself as the most prolific combination sprinter of all time, and his unorthodox style was the subject of singular fascination. Struck by food poisoning on the eve of the Barcelona Games, he came into Atlanta a sure-fire favourite and took gold in the 200 and 400 metres. Last summer, in Spain, he shattered the 11-year-old 400 metres record in 43.18 seconds.

Tearful and overcome after his feats in Atlanta, Johnson seemed to arrive in Sydney reconciled and prepared for what he was about to accomplish. That he has illuminated his greatness in the midst of the latest athletics drugs scandal was not going to intrude on is joy.

"My feeling on that is, I'm just happy. Call it selfish, I think I'm allowed to be selfish tonight and just think about what I was able to do and the history I made and what it means to my career, and not worry about what might overshadow that for people back home."

Four years ago, Michael Johnson described himself as "a machine, perfectly designed and programmed for the task ahead of me. Hard, cold steel." In Sydney he was the perfect opposite. Someone asked him if winning his first gold as a married man made it more special.

"To be honest, those are totally separate things. This here is just fun and games. That's life."