With the track and field season gradually coming to an end, several enthusiasts have witnessed a grand performance overall. From underdogs like Letsile Tebogo and Julien Alfred putting their hometowns on the map to Sha’Carri Richardson finally getting to shine at her debut Olympics, the news has been brimming with potential. Michael Johnson is taking advantage of all this hype for the upcoming season.
Introducing the Grand Slam Track to enthusiasts earlier this year, Johnson explained how his goal was not just to compensate athletes fairly but also to bring track and field as a sport under the spotlight.
For the longest time, the sport was simply hyped once every four years during the Olympics and forgotten for the rest of the time. However, with his innovative Grand Slam Track, which challenges the conventional track meet format, Johnson believes that it could attract more long-term fans.
Yet, one of the observations he highlighted in a recent post on X was how 2024 proved to be a good incubation year for the hype surrounding the sport.
Creating a buzz around any sport requires some essential circumstances that enable the hype to fester. In the case of the 2024 season, Johnson pointed out how the Olympics played a significant role in highlighting the sport itself. That, combined with athletes’ likeness and personalities, attracted mainstream attention.
2024 Track & Field season was one of the best ever for the sport
Due to combination of:
✅Olympics put major focus on the sport.
✅Dynamic personalities brought new fans and mainstream attention.
✅SPRINT on Netflix helped casual fans discover and engage with the sport.…— Michael Johnson (@MJGold) September 22, 2024
Apart from that, Netflix’s release of the docu-series Sprint, featuring Richardson and Lyles, sealed the deal, and the audience came rushing in to follow the journeys of their favorite athletes.
Johnson also believed that rivalries and world records brought to the surface by several track icons caused mainstream popularity. Be it Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who broke her own record and went head-to-head against Femke Bol, or the entire 1500m Olympic fiasco between Josh Kerr, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, and Cole Hocker, attention thrived on these rivals.
Add controversial takes and subjects from top-ranking athletes into the mix, and you have yourself a formula for a successful season. 2024 shone brightly and highlighted the sport and the athletes across various domains.
With the Grand Slam Track coming in Spring 2025, Johnson now aims to ride the wave of fame and hype to ensure the event’s success and give athletes the share they deserve.
