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Michael Johnson recently shared his honest thoughts about moving away from traditional customs in the inaugural Grand Slam Meet. The competition has seen paper bibs be replaced, and Johnson was quick to make his feelings known about the same.
Johnson has been consistently outspoken about his dislike for paper bibs attached to an athlete’s uniform by safety pins. He has criticised the look as unprofessional, and compared the athletes forced to wear bibs to ‘human billboards.’
In Johnson’s Grand Slam Track, bibs have been replaced by ‘stick-on IDs.’ The official X account of Citius Magazine shared a snap of these stick on IDs, writing,
“No bibs at @GrandSlamTrack. ❌ Hagos Gebriwhet (of Kenya) shares the stick-on ID that athletes will wear on their race kits in Kingston.”
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Michael Johnson was quick to to respond, writing,
“My apologies to the safety pin industry.”
Johnson is widely regarded as one of the best sprinters of all-time. The American competed in the 200m and 400m distances, picking up four Olympic titles and eight World Championships crowns over the course of his prolific career.
Michael Johnson reflects on the hype around Grand Slam Track
Michael Johnson called time on his sprinting career in 2001, but has continued to stay closely associated with the sport. In late 2024, he announced the launch of 'Grand Slam Track' a one-of-its-kind track league that would feature four meets each season, pitting the best of the best against each other.
Since its launch, GST has drawn great enthusiasm from fans and athletes alike. Recently, as the inaugural meet of the league got underway in Kingston, Johnson reflected on the hype created by Grand Slam Track, saying in a press conference,
“These athletes are excited because they get the opportunity to compete against their rivals, it's what they've always wanted. Fans are excited because they've always wanted to see the athletes race against their rivals more often. So, where we sit as Grand Slam Track, is simply in the position of just connecting the athletes who want to race against their rivals to the fans who want to see them race. That's our role.”
Johnson went on to highlight that GST would adopt a modern approach in order to produce exciting races, saying,
“It's simple, we just sit in the middle and put it together. We're trying to present it, as you can see here, in a way that is modern, that is fresh and that is exciting. That's what these athletes deserve, and it's what fans have wanted. So what you're going to see is compelling competition, you're going to see fast races, (and), you're going to see photo finishes.”
The first meet of Grand Slam Track is currently underway in Kingston, Jamaica. The meet is scheduled to take place between April 4-6, after which the league will head to Miami.
