ON THE SIDELINES : Ben Johnson Predicts Record Run

HAMBURG, West Germany — Ben Johnson, stripped of his Olympic gold medal in the 100 meters at Seoul, predicts that he can lower the world record upon his return in 1990.

“I believe I can run a 9.6 (seconds),” Johnson said in the mass-circulation Bild newspaper today.

The Canadian sprinter left the Olympics in disgrace last September after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. Officials in Seoul also annulled Johnson’s time of 9.79, which would have been a world record.

Bild quoted Johnson as saying he hopes to make his comeback at a meet Sept. 25, 1990, the same day his suspension from international competition expires.

At a Canadian government inquiry in June, Johnson admitted taking drugs for several years. In the interview, however, he would not specifically confirm his drug use.