WORLD champion Michael Johnson ran the third fastest 400 metres of all time as he clocked 43.44 seconds at the US Olympic trials in Atlanta for his 53rd consecutive victory in the event late last night.

Only world record holder Butch Reynolds, at 43.29, and Johnson, who ran 43.39 to win last year's world championship, have been faster.

Johnson went out hard and was clearly in the lead from almost the start. He passed the halfway mark in 21.2 seconds and had more than a three-metre lead coming off the turn, going on to log the fastest time ever run on US soil.

Reynolds took second place in 43.91 seconds and Alvin Harrison was third in 44.09 seconds.