"Disappointing"- Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian slams Michael Johnson's track league for not being 'athlete-friendly'

Alexis Ohanian spoke about legendary athlete Michael Johnson's track league not being 'athlete-friendly' and requiring the runners to obtain prior permission from the legendary athlete and the league's investor and chairman, Bill Ackerman. Ohanian recently concluded the inauguratory edition of his all-women track league, Athlos NYC, and has been in a quest to support women's sports as well as pioneer change in track and field.

The former Olympic gold medalist and Ohanian shared a similar vision to bring about a massive change in track and field to make it popular among the masses as a global sport. They both decided to launch their own track league, which would be fan-focused, featuring some of the fastest athletes in the world, as well as offer huge paychecks to the winners.

Michael Johnson's track league, 'Grand Slam Track,' will be officially launching in 2025 with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Josh Kerr, Fred Kerley, and Kenny Bednarek headlining the event. Amidst preparations to finalize the broadcasting partners for the Grand Slam Track, Alexis Ohanian took to X to express his disappointment with the league's practices, which included requiring permission from the legendary athlete as well as the league's investor to participate in other events.

"Hey @MJGold I loved seeing you + @BillAckman fast follow @ATHLOS by launching @GrandSlamTrack (great to see more people investing in athletics!), but 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," he wrote.

Furthermore, he urged the legendary athlete to reconsider his decision on the matter and to give athletes the freedom to participate in various activities to perpetuate growth in track and field.

"You're an Olympic legend and I hope you'll reconsider. It's so much better for the sport to give these women more options and not fewer — especially while it's still so under-invested-in," he added.

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Alexis Ohanian on the success of the inaugural edition of Grand Slam Track

Alexis Ohanian duing a Featured Session: Empowering the Next Generation to Build a Better Future - 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals - Source: Getty

Alexis Ohanian took to X to express his happiness on the success of the inaugural edition of his all-woman track meet, Athlos NYC. The event featured some of the fastest women in the world as well as offered lucrative prize money to the athletes. Moreover, the event had performances from Megan Thee Stallion and DJ D-nice.

"First of all, the vibes were BIG. Having 29x Olympic medals on the roster sure helps turn out an audience, but track has been on the rise this year, period. These women are finally getting the spotlight they deserve. @Athlos is s all about amplifying that, and it worked!"

Furthermore, Alexis Ohanian expressed his desire to continue his efforts to bring about a change in the track world.