Ben Johnson emerges again to claim that he's still the greatest sprinter of all time

Welcome to Groundhog Day, Ben Johnson version.

But instead of emerging from his den every Feb. 2 to predict the end of winter, the Ben Johnson groundhog emerges every Olympics to remind people that he's the greatest sprinter ever. That, of course, brings up the drug thing all over again, which is certainly not what he needs.

Rinse, repeat, rinse again.

The former world sprint champion, whose gold medal at the Seoul Olympics was ripped from his neck after a positive drug test, was at it again this week, telling the Toronto Sun that in his prime he would easily beat Olympic champion Usain Bolt.

“If we were on today’s track and I was in the shape I was in then, there is no question I would win,” the 54-year-old Canadian told the Sun.

Outside of his claim being impossible to prove, this is just about exactly what Johnson said after the London Olympics. 

If there is a difference in Johnson's mantra this time, it's that he not only would beat Bolt in an imaginary time-machine-enabled race, he would win in a cakewalk.

Citing advances in technology, Johnson said he would have run 9.2 in RIo.

Considering that Bolt holds the world record of 9.58, that's quite a gap. And considering that the Jamaican won this year's event in 9.81, he would have finished several strides behind Johnson in his imaginary showdown.

 “My physique, strength and power would allow me to beat Bolt,” he said.

“I think with the way it is today, I would have run a 9.2 or 9.3,” he said, adding he thinks fellow Canadian and Olympic gold medallist Donovan Bailey would equal that mark, too.

Amid his quadrennial ramblings, Johnson did include one opinion that's hard to refute: the 2016 final had none of the drama of the 1988 showdown between Johnson and American Carl Lewis.

 “The race, although entertaining, didn’t have the hype or excitement of the 1988 Olympic showdown between myself and Carl,” Johnson said. “I think part of the hype around the race in 1988 was also the fact it was Canada vs. the U.S.A. and in addition to all the media coverage about Carl being arrogant and me being a ‘nice’ Canadian.”

Nice Canadian, yes. Quiet Canadian, no.