Grand Slam Track: Michael Johnson says ‘I think I can save track, not track and field’

The biggest call Johnson has made is excluding half the sport of athletics.

Great Britain’s Jazmin Sawyers believes Grand Slam Track cannot achieve the change it seeks without including field events.

The European indoor long jump champion told the Telegraph, external: “[Johnson] talks about revolutionising the sport, but in its current iteration that’s not happening. The sport is athletics, that’s the sport that’s given him the life that he has.”

Meanwhile, the USA’s two-time reigning Olympic discus champion Valarie Allman defended field eventers as athletes who “want to compete the most” and hopes new competitions “recognise that track and field is a total package”.

In response to the criticism which followed that decision, Johnson said: “I love this sport. But I have had time to reconcile the fact that if we continue to just do the same thing, tell people that ‘you should love this’ or ‘you should understand this’ – that doesn’t work.

“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.”