Following Grant Holloway’s surprise withdrawal from the Brussels Diamond League Final, seasoned athletes Justin Gatlin, Rodney Green, and content creator Tiara Williams took to the Ready Set Go podcast to express their thoughts and insights on the situation.
The retired Bahamian sprinter acknowledged the issue that arose between Holloway’s team and the Diamond League administrators. Green also assumed they could not agree on the “appearance fee payment.”
During the podcast, he discussed the hurdler’s perspective, emphasizing that he should receive much more sponsorship deals for his legacy in the present era of the sport.
The Bahamian sprinter was then curious about the opinions of the other individuals on the podcast.
“I loved it. We need more transparency,” Williams responded to Green’s question. She was delighted that Holloway took the initiative to address this serious issue of athlete financing.
Williams emphasized that if the Diamond League was unable to pay its athletes, it should have been transparent in its statements to not just the participants but also the general public or the track community.
She praised Holloway‘s impressive career and stated that he deserved the demands he made, particularly additional sponsorship deals. Gatlin then shared his thoughts on the situation:
“Indoor world champion, indoor world record holder, outdoor world champion, Olympic champion, the most sub-12s ever in the event, over all the greats. Second fastest time ever in the event. He got six things playing in his favor.“
Gatlin recognized Holloway’s track prowess by emphasizing his significant achievements. These accomplishments underscore why the experienced track athlete believes that the American hurdler’s demands are justified and deserved by the community.
Holloway’s performances demanded financial support through advertisements and sponsorship deals. Gatlin was pleased that the American hurdler’s team acknowledged the necessity of developing his character through these means.
The four-time world champion referred to Holloway as a “complete athlete,” emphasizing that large sponsors should recognize his quality when making deals with him.
Gatlin emphasized that, while the American hurdler put up such exciting numbers on the event scoreboard, he would also need to expose his off-track personality to the spectators to obtain those lucrative partnerships.
