Sprint legend Michael Johnson has launched a new athletics competition called the Grand Slam Track. Athletes like Femke Bol and Nadine Visser are excited about this initiative. The competition will bring together nearly 100 of the best athletes four times a year to compete for over $12 million in prize money.
According to Johnson, the aim of the competition is to make athletics more attractive. By having the best athletes compete against each other and offering significant prize money, it will draw attention from the media and the public. Bol mentioned that the Diamond Leagues serve a similar purpose of showcasing the top athletes competing against each other.
One of the first athletes to commit to the Grand Slam Track is hurdler Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone. For Bol, McLaughlin-Levrone, the reigning world champion in the 400m hurdles, is a tough competitor. McLaughlin-Levrone recently returned to the track after recovering from a knee injury.
Bol is excited about the prospect of competing against McLaughlin-Levrone in more races. As for participating in the new competition herself, Bol is still trying to understand how it will work and how it will fit into her schedule, especially considering the travel involved.
The Grand Slam Track is set to kick off in April 2025 with events in Los Angeles, another city in the US, and two international locations. Bol and Visser both acknowledge that participating in such a competition will be challenging due to the logistics and travel involved. However, they are both supportive of the initiative to provide more opportunities for athletes to compete and earn more.