2024 will go down as an iconic year for track and field. The 2024 Paris Olympics, of course, set the stage for the unbound thrills of track to come. Post the Olympic races came the Diamond League and then the brand new all-women Athlos NYC 2024. Athlos, despite being its first year, managed to create a massive buzz. And the buzz wasn’t just about the competition! Alexis Ohanian, the Reddit co-founder turned sports investor, and the man behind Athlos had big prize money at the end of the finish line!

Each athlete who won ended up with $60,000. A huge number for track and field. However, dimming Ohanian’s light, track legend Michael Johnson launched the Grand Slam Track. Ohanian, known for his progressive approach to sports, wasn’t happy with GST’s clause! The clause requires athletes to get permission before competing in other leagues. “It’s disappointing you’re requiring these women to get permission from you & Bill in order to compete in other leagues. It’s not very athlete-friendly,” wrote Ohanian on X. However, now the face of Ohanian’s Athlos in 2024 has come out in support of GST!

Gabby Thomas comes out in support of GST!

Gabby Thomas isn’t just any athlete! She is the 200m Olympic gold medalist and, more importantly, was the face of Athlos. Through the months of launch and promotion of Athlos, Gabby played an integral role. In fact, Alexis Ohanian has even previously spoken about the role she played in developing athletes. In fact, he even went on to say, “You are magnificent. You played such a big role in galvanizing me to invest in track, and I’ll always be grateful for that.” Here, her involvement also came from standing with the cause of promoting women in track. However, her affiliation with Athlos has not stopped her from supporting GST!

As Gabby sees it, “I can’t wait to give the millions of track fans around the world even more chances to watch us compete.” This time, Gabby’s support is yet again for the cause. The cause here? The growth of track and field. Grand Slam Track does not just come with races and events that help track athletes in non-Olympic years. It also comes with a massive monetary benefit! The league’s structure offers serious prize money for every Slam. So, what does GST offer?

The winners of each race will get a $100,000 cash prize. The payout continues down the rankings, with second place earning $50,000, third place $30,000, and so on to eighth place. This prize money setup is designed to ensure that athletes are rewarded generously for their efforts, with the potential to win $400,000 if they win all four slams! Now, this exceeds competitions like the Diamond League or even Athlos! So, while Ohanian thinks it might be “not very athlete-friendly,” the numbers and mission say otherwise. But that’s not all; GST had some responses for Ohanian and his allegations!

Grand Slam Track answers Alexis Ohanian’s allegations!

Michael Johnson, being the legend he is, wasn’t about to let Ohanian’s criticism slide without a response. In a recent post from GST on X, Johnson is seen having a conversation with Olympic champion Cole Hocker. During the same, Johnson explains that the goal is to elevate track and field, not create unnecessary barriers for athletes. In fact, Johnson calls out Ohanian inaccuracy.

It is true that Grand Slam track has a clause that prohibits athletes and asks them to “obtain prior written consent” to “engage in a Competing Sports League’s event.” Here’s the other side of the coin! The contract might require athletes to get written consent but not for established events like the Diamond League, the Olympics, and other major events.

It is evident that GST is focused on what’s best for athletes. And “It’s unfortunate that in this pivotal moment to elevate the sport, there are some newcomers who think the way to do this is to create controversy through distortions,” said Michael Johnson, clearing the air. Translation? The league wasn’t about to let Alexis Ohanian’s criticisms distract them from their mission. And perhaps the same goes for Gabby Thomas, who sees the greater benefit that the sport will reap from GST!