Johnson, Lewis May Earn $250,000 Each to Run 100

ZURICH — Ben Johnson will meet Carl Lewis for the first time since last August tonight in a 100-meters race at a Grand Prix meet at Zurich in what may be the richest event in track and field history.

The athletes’ managers would not reveal the sum the sprinters would be paid for the race at Letzigrund Stadium. But they are expected to receive $250,000 each, the sum they would have earned for each of three races earlier this season. The series was canceled because Johnson, the world record-holder, was injured.

Larry Heidebrecht, Johnson’s manager, and Joe Douglas, Lewis’ manager, met to agree on terms.

“The race between Ben Johnson and Carl Lewis is on tomorrow night,” Douglas said Tuesday. “We think it’s good for the sport. We agreed in writing we are not going to discuss any numbers involved.”

Heidebrecht said, “We have been able to get overseas TV stations to pay more money for the TV rights to this meet because the TV stations can now sell more commercials as this clash is on.”

Andreas Bruegger, promoter of the Zurich track and field meet, said he also had found two more sponsors in Zurich.

Lewis, who won four Olympic gold medals in 1984, and Johnson last met at the 1987 World Championships at Rome when Johnson set the world record of 9.83 seconds. Lewis was second.

Johnson, who has defeated Lewis five straight times, said, “I don’t think he can beat me again. I’ve proved it so many times already. This year is so important I just want to beat him here like I did last year.”

The last time Lewis defeated Johnson was at Cologne, West Germany in 1985 when Lewis was second and Johnson third, behind Poland’s Marian Worinin.

The “Olympic re-match” race between Zola Budd and Mary Slaney at London’s Crystal Palace in 1985 attracted attention when Budd earned a reputed $90,000 and Slaney $80,000.