Athletics Canada, the governing body, will discuss Johnson's request at their general annual meeting in Ottawa this weekend.

Johnson was banned for life after twice testing positive for drugs, including at the 1988 Olympics in Seoul.

Johnson tried to win reinstatement through the Ontario courts by saying his lifetime ban is a restraint of trade, but lost that case and a subsequent appeal in September.

The president of Athletics Canada, John Thresher, said: "I now feel that dialogue can take place now that the court case is behind us."

If Athletics Canada agrees to put forward Johnson's application, it would then go before the Canadian Center for Ethics in Sport, which would appoint an independent arbitrator to hear the sprinter's case.