"Diminishes the value of pro athletes"- Michael Johnson slams obsession over young high school athletes

Michael Johnson slammed the pro track world for obsessing over 'fast high schoolers' who haven't made a mark professionally. In his statement, he excluded the Bullis High School standout, Quincy Wilson, since he proved himself on the Olympic stage.

Johnson, the retired sprinter who held the 200m and 400m world records, was one of the most consistent track and field athletes in history. Since winning his first World title in 1991, he amassed four Olympic and 12 World gold medals in his storied career. He hung his sprinting shoes in 2001 but never dissociated himself from the sporting world.

Since that year, the multiple-time Olympic gold medalist has been a BBC pundit and continues to share his opinions on events and athletes.

In a recent X post, he expressed his concerns about high school athletes getting more attention from the pro-track world. However, he excluded Bullis High School's athlete, Quincy Wilson, because of his track record in the professional domain.

"I don’t do hot takes but this is probably as close as I’ll get to one. The pro track world’s inclusion of and obsession with fast high schoolers as young as 13 yrs old who haven’t proven themselves on the pro scene (Quincy has) diminishes the value of pro athletes."

Johnson introduced the Grand Slam Track League, the first-of-its-kind event, to revolutionize track and field, and host four events every year, unlike the quadrennial Olympics. Several athletes have already signed up for the league, ready to race in the inaugural edition in April 2025.

Michael Johnson once addressed the issue of track and field not securing a place among the top10 pro sport

Michael Johnson running at a track event - (Source: Getty)

Michael Johnson has been a vocal advocate for track and field getting the desired recognition in the sporting world. In an X post from February 5, 2025, he shared statistics showing that track and field acquired the top spot for high school female athletes and second place for high school males. However, the sport hasn't gained a spot among the top 10 pro sports.

Addressing the issue, Johnson said:

"Track & Field #1 girls and #2 boys high school sport in America. But not a top 10 pro sport. Why? No professional league to watch only the best compete regularly. This is why I created @GrandSlamTrack. 14-year-old basketball player dreams of playing WNBA or NBA. 15-year-old tennis player dreams of being a top-ranked WTA or ATP player playing Grand Slams. 15-year-old track athlete dreams of being in the Olympics, which happens ONCE EVERY FOUR YEARS."

He added:

"Track needs an exclusive league for the best athletes to entertain fans on an annual basis with competitions that are important in their own right instead of just practices for World Championships and Olympics."

Besides commentating at track events, Michael Johnson works as a columnist for the Telegraph and the Daily Telegraph. His 'Survival of the Fastest' documentary before the 2012 Olympics revolved around African-Caribbean and African-American sprinters.