Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson hopes to bring ‘Formula 1 of racing’ with Grand Slam Track

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Michael Johnson believes his Grand Slam Track can be the “Formula One of athlete racing,” as the novel circuit that puts rivalries at the forefront kicks off in Kingston, Jamaica, from Friday.

The four-event start-up comes amid longstanding concern over athletics’ popularity outside of the Olympics, as track and field is a regular attraction in Europe but struggles to compete against the “Big Four” of North American professional sport.

Johnson, a larger-than-life figure who won eight world championship gold medals during his career, told Reuters it was time to take the burden off the athletes to bring track into the limelight.

“The athletes themselves have been criticised a lot over the years for the sport not being more popular. And my position has always been, the athletes are doing their job,” said Johnson, who will also host meets in Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles.

“It’s up to someone else to go and create a structure that presents that to the world and commercialises that and markets it,” he added

Grand Slam features head-to-head competitions with a roster of decorated stars, including 400 metres hurdles world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone of the United States and British 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr.

ALSO READ | Diamond League boss Stastny welcomes competition from Grand Slam Track but warns of clashes

The circuit, which does not include any field events, is missing a handful of notable names, including Olympic 100m gold medallist Noah Lyles and double Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen.

Johnson, who won 200m and 400m gold at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996 and held world records in both events, says taking Grand Slam Track to Europe and Asia is on the agenda should this year’s competitions prove a success.

Grand Slam inked a broadcast deal in the United States two months before its launch, with the CW Network and streaming service Peacock to air the competitions.

On Friday, the circuit announced additional broadcast partners to give fans in 189 countries access.

“I’m going to try to bridge this gap between the sport and its current position and what its potential is, which I think is immense. I think this could be the UFC and Formula One of athlete racing,” he said.

The circuit is a direct challenge to the Diamond League, long the standard-bearer for professional track worldwide, which hosts 15 meetings each year in cities from Xiamen to Zurich.