Michael Johnson defends exclusion of field events from his Grand Slam Track project
Four-time Olympic gold medalist, Michael Johnson has waved off criticisms that trailed his non-inclusion of field events in his money-spinning project, Grand Slam Track, the much-vaunted new global home of professional track competition.
The Grand Slam Track is scheduled to start next year and will hold across three venues in the United States of America and Kingston in Jamaica.
Long jumper, Jazmin Sawyers and USA’s two-time reigning Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman have criticized Johnson’s decision to leave out field events.
‘[Johnson] talks about revolutionising the sport, but in its current iteration that’s not happening. The sport is athletics, that’s the sport that’s given him the life that he has,’ said Sawyers, the two-time Olympics Long Jump finalist and 2023 European indoor champion in an interview with the Telegraph.
Allman would also have none of whatever Johnson has to say, defending field eventers as athletes who “want to compete the most” and hopes new competitions “recognise that track and field is a total package”.
Johnson is adamant he has not done anything wrong and his mission is to save track events and not track and field events.
“I love this sport. But I have had time to reconcile the fact that if we continue to just do the same thing, tell people that ‘you should love this’ or ‘you should understand this’ – that doesn’t work.
“Grand Slam Track is track, that is what we’re doing. I am going to save what I think I can save; I think I can save track, I don’t think I can save track and field.
“Putting the two together works at the Olympics and World Championships, but I’m not sure it works when you’re trying to create a professional sport outside of those global competitions,’ said Johnson.
The Atlanta 1996 Olympics 200/400m champion says 48 athletes will be named to the league as Grand Slam Track Racers with the addition of Gabby Thomas taking the tally of announced Racers as signees to 38.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Melissa Jefferson, Masai Russell, Quincy Hall, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Grant Fisher, Josh Kerr, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Ackera Nugent, Roshawn Clarke, Nikki Hiltz, Cyrena Samba-Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn are among those signed on.
Others include Alison Dos Santos, Ronald Kwemoi, Muzala Samukonga, Clement Ducos, Marileidy Paulino, Jess Hull, Daniel Roberts, Shamier Little, Marco Arop, Devon Allen, Jasmine Jones, Jereem Richards, Luis Grijalva, Rushell Clayton, Elise Cranny, Nozomi Tanaka, Salwa Eid Naser, Daryll Neita, Mary Moraa, Agnes Ngetich, and Tsigie Gebreselama.
The Grand Slam Track has the largest racing purse in history over a full season.
