Olympic gold medalist Johnson retires at 39

GATESHEAD, England — Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion hurdler Allen Johnson is retiring. The 39-year-old American, who won gold at the Atlanta Olympics, announced his retirement to the crowd Saturday at the British Grand Prix. Johnson won the U.S. outdoor championship seven times, most recently in 2005. The last of his four world titles came in 2003. He finished the 2007 season ranked sixth in the world. He made three Olympic teams, most recently at Athens in 2004. Upon hearing of Johnson's announcement, Doug Logan, the CEO of USA Track and Field, called the hurdler a class act. Logan says Johnson "embodies all the qualities you could ask for from a champion." —AP