When Michael Johnson launched the Grand Slam Track (GST) in partnership with billionaire Bill Ackman, it promised a game-changing opportunity for track and field athletes, offering better pay and a platform to shine truly. For many, it felt like hitting the jackpot. However, one clause in the fine print sparked controversy: athletes needed permission to compete in other meets, including Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos. Ohanian publicly criticized the rule, only to be met with silence from the GST camp and much of the sport. Since then, GST has been mired in controversy. While both Johnson and Ohanian push forward on their missions, the question lingers: Will these two ever see eye to eye? Well, the track legend has finally broken his silence…
After coming under the radar, Grand Slam Track issued a statement, where they assured that the athletes who participated in their event would be permitted to compete in the Diamond League and one-off events without prior approval. They didn’t name Ohanian, but the message was clear. This was a clear call-out to the former Reddit founder. Well, time passed and things went downhill for GST, and as the promotion now downs in allegations, Michael Johnson has come forward with a rather unexpected confession.
On the Ready Set Go podcast’s August 1st episode, when the legendary sprinter was asked whether he would be willing to take Ohanian’s call and consider a partnership, Johnson made a rather unique confession, stating that he holds no hard feelings against him. “I said this even before this. I’ll talk to anybody in the sport, and have. You talked about the Diamond League earlier. So first of all, just to answer your question directly, I pick up the phone and say, “You know, what’s up, man? Let’s talk about the sport that we all care about.”
He further added, “Again, we all might be different in terms of how we want to approach the change in the sport, but we all want to see the sport change for the better, right?” Keeping their bad blood apart, Johnson expressed that in order to make this sport lively again, he would shake hands with his former rival.
In addition to that, Johnson also confessed that he invested his own money in the promotion and that he is the one who lost the most. “I am an investor in Grand Slam. I mean, look, I have my own money in this. So I’m the worst scammer ever,” said Johnson. Well, their beef appears to be ending, but will Ohanian respond to this? That remains unknown. What’s interesting, however, is that months ago, Noah Lyles had urged both of them to reconsider their banter.
When Noah Lyles urged Michael Johnson and Alexis Ohanian to squash their beef
Amidst the clash of the titans, Noah Lyles continues to call for a team-up between the sport’s giants, hoping that a partnership between the two will transform the sport for good. While speaking with Benjamin and Holloway on their podcast Beyond the Records, Lyles laid out a much bigger vision for both parties. He stated that rather than watching Athlos and Grand Slam Track battle for market share, a revolutionary collaboration could reshape the entire landscape.
“I was talking to a few people about how great it would be if you know Alexis and Michael and even World Athletics or the Diamond League got together and say, hey let’s pull our money together and make something that the world has never seen,” he said. For Noah, it’s not about the ego—it’s about impact. “You know what’s $30 million if you can double that and then triple that… and then create an event like that,” said Lyles.
Benjamin echoed Lyles’s sentiments, stating that successful venues and formats, such as Diamond Leagues in Zurich or Monaco, should be strengthened and expanded, not divided or disrupted. Both of them agreed that the sport should cater to the fans as well as to the athletes, and now to certain individuals. Well, Johnson has extended his hand of friendship, but will Ohanian take it?
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