One might assume that when a legend of the track gives us their prediction, they will hold pretty well. Such is the case with Zharnel Hughes, as well. Before the start of the lucrative Grand Slam Track, its mastermind, Michael Johnson himself claimed that the youngster would be the breakout star of the tourney. For those who have seen his records, it even looked like it would. But alas, both Johnson and Hughes were left behind at a recent race. But who was the winner then? Well, as it so happens, the day belonged to a Jamaican.

At the Velocity Fest 16 Zharnel Hughes was among the many who laced up for the annual event on March 22. But despite so many big names at the end, it was Michael Johnson’s pick who was seen as a hot favorite. After all, when a guy like Johnson is backing you, surely sparks will fly. But all these sparks were extinguished when Jamaican Ackeem Blake came up on the tracks.

Taking full advantage of the Kingston track, the Jamaican gave a whirlwind 10.06 second-run to win the race. Meanwhile, his British contemporary could only manage a time of 10.14 seconds as he took the second place. Not to mention the 0.08-second gap is quite high compared to Blake. This must’ve been an eye-opener moment, as with GST fast approaching, he can’t let such slip-ups happen anymore.

But on the other hand, Jamaica clearly enjoyed the event, with the third place also being claimed by a Jamaican in the form of Adrian Kerr with a time of 10.29 seconds.  But coming back to Michael Johnson, in the absence of Noah Lyles, the US track legend put his money on Zharnel Hughes. In a recent interview with CITIUS MAG, Johnson stated owing to his antics in 2023, Hughes will be the one to look out for.

“I’m going to say I think Zharnel Hughes… had a great year in 2023, and he was on his way,” Johnson told CITIUS MAG. “He figured a lot out in 2023… ran two PBs, national records, and then got injured last year.” Well, Johnson had his reasons to heap so much praise on Hughes. The way he battled the adversaries and emerged as a champion has been exceptional. 

Back in 2023, Hughes looked quite invincible. He broke both the 100m and the 200m British records. While he ran 9.83s and 19.73s respectively, it is expected that Hughes will be coming back strong as GST gets underway. And while Michael Johnson might have gotten his predictions with Zharnel Hughes wrong, his statements regarding the future of GST look quite solid.

Michael Johnson confesses bold outlook on GST league’s future

Michael Johnson is confident! The legend believes that once the Grand Slam Track (GST) League proves itself, top athletes will eventually join. With less than a month until the league’s launch in Jamaica, Johnson is unwavering in his belief that success will attract the sport’s biggest stars.

While having a conversation with Chris Chavez for Citius Mag Johnson said, “When we build it, you know, they come.” He even went on to address why some elite athletes are skipping the first season. While Richardson, Lyles, and others remain absent, Johnson sees it as a natural part of building something new. “Are all the athletes going to come in Year One? Come on, no,” he admitted.

Johnson emphasized that the league’s focus isn’t on who’s missing but on the athletes who have already committed. He stated, “You can over-index and get hyper-focused on who’s not here, which, in my opinion, is somewhat disrespectful to the 48 who are here.” The track veteran also remains focused on creating an environment where athletes feel valued and have greater freedom.

Despite early skepticism, Johnson believes GST’s foundation is strong. “The first step was raising the money, which we did. The next step… the biggest challenge… is getting athletes on board to approach their sport in a different way where they will be more ‘valued’ and will enjoy a lot of freedom, which we did”, he candidly shared.

With a solid lineup of Olympic and world champions already signed up, Johnson is betting that the rest will follow once GST proves its worth. While currently, the big names including Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson aren’t yet a part of the league, will they too abide by Johnson’s bold claim and join GST later? What are your thoughts on the same?