MICHAEL JOHNSON has dropped plans to chase an unprecedented third successive double at the World Championships in Athens this year, leaving the way clear for Roger Black and the rest of Britain's battalion of 400-metre men.

The American, winner of the 200 and 400 metres at the 1995 World Championships and last year's Olympics, will run only one event in Athens.

"He felt the strain in Atlanta," said Brad Hunt, his agent. "You have to remember that if he wants to run both events in the World Championships, he also has to do both in the US trials firsts"

Johnson, currently preparing for his $1 million showdown over 150 metres with the Olympic 100 metres champion Donovan Bailey in Toronto in May, is set to favour the 200 metres in the World Championships and relinquish the 400 metres crown he has held since he won in Stuttgart in 1993.

By doing only one event in Athens, he hopes to be fresh enough to attack Butch Reynolds's world 400 metres record of 43.29 seconds around the European Grand Prix circuit. Johnson set the world 200 metres record of 19.32 seconds in Atlanta.

Black, second to Johnson in Atlanta, Mark Richardson, Iwan Thomas and Jamie Baulch are all ranked among the world's top 20 and would be among the favourites to succeed Johnson.

"If Johnson doesn't run the 400 metres, it means, for the first time in many years, the event will be wide open," said Richardson, fifth in the 1995 World Championships. "There will be four British guys who will all fancy their chances. The event will have a real buzz about it."

Richardson was speaking at the British Athletic Federation's launch of a four-year £3 million sponsorship deal with BUPA, who will back three of the five televised meetings in 1997.

Olympic triple jump champion Kenny Harrison believes Jonathan Edwards' world re cord could be shattered in Athens this summer. Edwards set the current mark of 18.29 metres when he won the world crown in 1995.