Michael Johnson Exposes Sorry State of Track and Field as American Legend Makes Painful Admission

Track and field athletes have earned numerous awards and honors for the country. Track and field is also one of the most popular sports for high school students- occupying the first spot among girls and second for boys.  What then dims the passion and excitement in athletes who move into professional competitions? Despite the incredible talent and thrilling performances, the sport struggles to capture the same attention as basketball or football, for instance.

Stars like Noah Lyles, and Sha’Carri Richardson have secured their places in track and field history. Besides winning the New Balance Grand Prix four consecutive times, Lyles claimed Olympic gold at the 100m event in 2024. Sha’Carri Richardson won silver in the 100 m event in Paris. The professional and Olympic athletes seem to occupy completely different lighting stages. But why do even the sport’s biggest stars struggle to gain mainstream recognition?

Professional track and field champions who win prestigious titles earn much less than their counterparts in other sports leagues. Elite runners Bolt, Lyles, and Richardson show superb athletic merit while facing unfair financial benefits compared to other professional sports. Bolt achieved an impressive $30 million worth despite a career that outshined numerous NFL and NBA athletes who earned about 1.2 billion such as LeBron James. Noah Lyles is one of the most sought-after sprinters right now, yet his net worth amounts to only $7 million compared to other professional league athletes’ substantial earnings. Due to their outstanding talent and universal popularity, professional track and field competitors face financial challenges and limited public exposure despite track and field remaining popular at the high school level. This ongoing disparity has sparked conversations among legends of the sport, including Michael Johnson.

Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic gold medalist, took to X to address track and field’s ongoing struggle. “Track & field is the #1 girls and #2 boys high school sport in America. But not a top 10 pro sport. Why? No professional league to watch; only the best compete regularly.” Despite its widespread appeal among young athletes, track and field fails to capture attention on a larger level due to a lack of a dedicated professional league.” This is why I created @GrandSlamTrack.” Honestly, Johnson has a point. The excitement and thrill that surround a professional league’s competition are irreplaceable. It shall go a long way to keep people engaged with the sport.

According to the 4-time Olympic champion, a specialized platform for elite track competitors is necessary. “Track needs an exclusive league for the best athletes to entertain fans on an annual basis with competitions that are important in their own right instead of just practices for World Championships and Olympics.” After considering all this, the discussion moves towards how track and field will respond to expected massive increases in audience interest and fan attendance.

Are we ready for Track and Field’s popularity?

The growing popularity of track and field seems certain after Noah Lyles finished first at 9.784 in Paris following a dramatic battle with Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson. Moreover, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone achieved history by setting a brand new world record in the 400m hurdles event. In Paris, the 25-year-old hurdler claimed gold by clocking in at 50.37 seconds. Worldwide sports enthusiasts focus on these special moments, which lead to increased popularity. The surge of public interest faces substantial difficulty because of how resources and attention are allocated internally. Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin has also shared his opinion on the issue.

In the Ready Set Go podcast, Gatlin expressed his worry about the significant difference between prize money rewards in track and field athletic competitions. “And I think that’s going to throw us backwards because now you have all these field events who have been working hard to be considered equal. And if their purse doesn’t equal a high-caliber, 100-meter race, then there’s no equality,” he said. However, pay inequality isn’t the only challenge on the path that needs to be overcome.

The sport’s managing power of its broadcasting network remains a serious issue for Noah Lyles amid the growing popularity of the sport. “The hard part is that we as a sport are not ready for the popularity that is going to come. Everybody is going to say, ‘I want to be a track and field fan!’ or ‘I want to follow Fred!’ ‘I want to follow Noah!’ ‘I want to follow Erriyon!’ Guess what? We don’t even have a place to go and tell them to watch the track meet,” he said. This could hinder track and field’s potential to expand its fanbase in the long run.

Can the sport overcome these barriers to truly capture the attention and support it deserves on a global scale? What do you think about this?