Johnson’s event will start at Kingston, Jamaica before moving to Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. (AP)
Former American sprinter Michael Johnson is set to start a new athletic league from next year called Grand Slam Track, an event which will see four three day events across different cities.
Johnson’s event will start at Kingston, Jamaica before moving to Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
“We’ve got the fastest people in the world. We think that it’s important that they look like the fastest people in the world, as opposed to the antithesis of fast. Some elements of the sport are stuck in the past,” said Johnson to the Daily Mail.
“I think it can be huge,” insists the founder Johnson, a four-time Olympic champion. “I think the potential of this sport is immense. It’s the greatest Olympic sport. Every four years, it’s the most watched sport – and probably the most watched thing – in the world.
‘It is a sport that everybody understands. It’s perfect for today’s audience. It’s really a series of highlights. Two thirds of our races take place in under a minute and you just keep getting more and more of them.
But one person who has raised doubts over Johnson’s venture is none other than Paris Olympics 100m champion Noah Lyles. The American sprinter is the best known face in the sport and has a demand for his participation in the competition. Lyles, who challenged the NBA ecosystem to their belief that their title is the ‘World Championship’, has said that unless Johnson and Grand Slam Track sign a TV deal, it wouldn’t be possible for him to take part in the event.
Lyles is quoted to have said, “If a tree falls in the middle of the woods and nobody is there to see it, did it really fall?”
Johnson responded to Lyles’ demanded and has said that a TV deal is on its way but perhaps not as soon enough to confirm the American sprinter to be a part of next year’s events.
“We will announce our TV deal in January, but we’re going to go ahead and close out our group before then. Noah’s timing doesn’t work for us and our timing doesn’t work for him. That’s fine. We’ll continue to talk to him about being a challenger and maybe he becomes a racer next year,” said Johnson.
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