"Michael Johnson ruffled a lot of feathers" - Justin Gatlin gives his honest take on legendary sprinter's controversial statement on track & field

Justin Gatlin has defended Michael Johnson's controversial statement after the former American sprinter snubbed field events from his newly launched Grand Slam Track. The league is set to make its debut in April 2025.

Explaining his decision to exclude field events from the league in an interview with BBC, Johnson opined that including both categories wouldn't have been feasible for the league. He further added that he doesn't think he could save field events, a remark that left many field athletes angry.

"Grand Slam Track is track, that is what we're doing. I am going to save what I think I can save; I think I can save track, I don't think I can save track and field.

"Putting the two together works at the Olympics and World Championships, but I'm not sure it works when you're trying to create a professional sport outside of those global competitions," he said

Amid the outburst online against the former 200m world record holder, Justin Gatlin defended Johnson's statement and suggested that the sport wasn't at the level to understand his vision. Speaking during the Ready Set Go podcast, the 2004 Olympic champion said:

"To be honest, I think Michael spoke his truth and he felt like he can bring something different to the sport but the sport is going to have to change to understand his different. And obviously he feels he has gained his success on the sprint side, maybe not much on the field side to make it successful or maybe that's a call to arms for field legends to step up and be a parallel of Michael and put on great events for field athletes."[14:00 onwards]

However, Gatlin also pointed out that Michael Johnson's statement was a bold one and it was better to be unified than create a division.

"But I think for Michael, it was a bold statement cuz right now in the changing of the guards that we're in track and field I think more unity is better than division and how you speak upon it. Fix what you can fix first, let's just do that, and if people come tapping your shoulder why are you not fixing field events, then Okay? Maybe that's what happened, but he ruffled a lot of feathers," Justin Gatlin added

Grand Slam Track is set for its inaugural events in Kingston, Jamaica on April 3-5, 2025. The league has signed some of the prominent sprinters in the world including Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, and Fred Kerley.

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"My objective is to put athletes on a stage that is worthy of their greatness" - Michael Johnson on Grand Slam Track's vision

Michael Johnson at the Laureus awards (Image Source: Getty)

Speaking in the aforementioned interview with BBC, Michael Johnson shared his vision for the Grand Slam Track, claiming he wanted to make it one of the best sporting events in the world.

"My objective is to create the opportunities that athletes have always wanted and to put them on a stage that is worthy of their greatness, with races that mean something. To do that you have to have the best competing against each other. That is what is compelling about the biggest sports in the world. That's what we're creating," Michael Johnson said

With four slams each year, the league offers the highest-ever prize money in the history of track and field. The winner of each slam will take $100,000 home while the second and third-place finishers will earn $50,000 and $30,000 respectively. The prize money for last-placed sprinter is $10,000, the same amount a regular Diamond League meet winner earned in 2024.