Carl Lewis last night launched a fierce broadside at the man who succeeded him as the world's greatest athlete, claiming Michael Johnson was on an "ego-fest". The nine-time Olympic champion hit out as he prepared to make his final appearance in Europe before retirement by competing in the climax to the Golden Four Grand Prix series in Berlin.

Lewis attacked the reasoning behind Johnson's head-to-head with Olympic 100 metres champion Donovan Bailey which the 200 metres world record holder lost after pulling up injured.

"The only reason why Michael wanted that meeting was to say `hey, look I'm the fastest in the world'," said Lewis of the £1 million challenge in the Toronto Sky Dome in June.

"It was an ego-fest. He was just trying his hardest to bring all the attention onto him," Lewis added. "It had nothing to do with promoting the sport. Where were the coaching clinics for young kids the day before? Why was there no autograph signing session?"

Lewis said meeting promoters had to follow the lead of sports like American basketball.

The 36-year-old has borrowed from basketball terminology by bringing together a sprint "dreamteam" of four of the fastest men in history for an attack on the four times 100 metres relay "world" record.

Lewis will be joined by fellow former world 100 metres record holder Leroy Burrell, Namibian Frankie Fredericks and Bailey - the current holder of the record - though the record will not be ratified even if it is broken as they are a composite team.

The more serious world record attempts will be made by Haile Gebrselassie who attempts to recapture the 5,000 metres record he lost to Daniel Komen in Brussels last Friday.

Komen will also be in Berlin but he is dropping down a distance hoping to erase Algerian Noureddine Morceli from the mile record books.