Athletics
Middle-distance star and Olympian Jinson Johnson announces retirement
The national record holder became the first Indian in 56 years to win a 1500m Asian Games gold medal in 2018.
Jinson Johnson broke two long-standing National Records in 800m and 1500m during his prime.
Olympian and Asian Games medallist Jinson Johnson announced his retirement from competitive athletics through a long and emotional social media post on Wednesday.
The announcement marked the end of Johnson’s 16-year-long middle distance running career at the national and international level.
“From a boy with dream started the journey from Kolkata and reached up to Asian Games podium in Hangzhou 2023. Thank you Athletics. Some journeys are measured in meters and seconds. Some are measured in tears, sacrifices, faith and the people who never let you fall,” Johnson wrote, reflecting on his beginnings and final appearance on the continental stage.
Johnson said his journey began in 2007 in Kolkata, when he won his first school national medal. “I did not know then where this road would lead me. I only knew one thing - I wanted to run for India,” he said.
“What followed was a life shaped by relentless training, quiet struggles, painful injuries, lonely tracks, comebacks that tested my soul, and moments that made every sacrifice worth it. In 2018, at the National Inter-State Athletics Championship in Guwahati, I broke the 42-year-old National Record in 800m. The same year at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, I broke the 23-year-old National Record in the 1500m. Breaking two National Records and contributing to Indian Athletics remains one of the proudest moments of my life,” he wrote.
At the National Inter-State Athletics Championship 2018 in Guwahati, Johnson broke a 42-year-old national record in the 800m. Later that year, at the Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, he broke the 23-year-old national record in the 1500m.
Johnson represented India at the Olympic Games, World Athletics Championships, Asian Games, and Commonwealth Games, stating, “Every time I wore the tricolour, I ran not just with my legs, but with my heart. In 2018, I was ranked the top athlete in Asia, which gave me the opportunity to represent Asia-Pacific at the IAAF World Continental Cup in Ostrava. That year was truly momentous, I won gold in the 1500m and silver in the 800m at the Jakarta Asian Games.
“Everything was going well until 2019, when COVID and a severe Achilles tendon injury hit my career hard. After three long years of setbacks and recovery,I returned to win a bronze medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games 2023-my final race at the National and International level.
He expressed gratitude to his coaches, training partners, and institutions including the Athletics Federation of India, Sports Authority of India, Reliance Foundation, Army Sports Institute, and 851 Lt Regiment Artillery Centre.
“This journey was never mine alone. My heartfelt thanks to everyone who worked tirelessly behind the scenes-often unseen, but always felt. To my training partners and fellow athletes, thank you for pushing me every single day. You turned pain into progress and struggle into strength. I would not be the athlete I am without you. To my family and friends — my greatest blessing. You stood by me through injuries, disappointments, and long absences. Your prayers, patience, and love kept me standing when I felt broken. Every medal, every record, every achievement belongs to you,”
Announcing his retirement, Johnson concluded, “As I step away from competitive athletics, I do so with humility, gratitude, and peace. Though I retire from racing, athletics will always live in my heart.”
He signed off with a final note of thanks: “Thank you for everything. Thank you for believing in me. Thank you, India 🇮🇳.”
