Jan Johnson was a dear friend. We lost him about a year ago. I miss his laugh, and our banter.
Jan Johnson was one of the finest vaulters in US pole vault history, a great teacher and advocate of the pole vault, and a father, husband, grandfather, and coach.
We could not have succeeded in launching American Athletics and then American Track & Field without the support of the late Jan Johnson. I miss him very much.
Jan wrote two stories on Steve Prefontaine for me, one in American Athletics (1989-1994) and one in American Track & Field (1994-2019). I will find them and republish; they are gems.
Jan Johnson told me about traveling with Steve Prefontaine around Europe. Pre would love to hold the poles as they enter airports and gently bump them against attractive women. Pre liked to flirt, and it cracked Jan up about Pre’s lack of subtlety.
This is a very short video, but it is thoughtful. Please enjoy it, and think about Steve Prefontaine and my friend Jan Johnson, 1972 Olympic bronze medalist, founder of SkyJumpers and proponent of the pole vault!
More on Steve Prefontaine:
Steve Prefontaine, Six Lessons to Learn from Pre, by Larry Eder, https://www.runblogrun.com/2026/05/steve-prefontaine-six-lessons-to-learn-from-his-life.html?swcfpc=1
