Michael Johnson’s dream has come true. He has brought together some of the best track talents under one roof to race one another in their respective fields. As of April 4, 2025, the Grand Slam track has officially kicked off. The likes of Sydney McLaughlin and Gabby Thomas have won their races in the land of Usain Bolt, Kingston. Though GST was not immune to criticism back when it was in process, it is not even immune now. Field legend Tara Davis-Woodhall has taken a little hit at the track event. What did she say?

Citius Mag took to its social media channels to post a unique thing about the Grand Slam Track, writing, “No bibs at @grandslamtrack. ❌@hagosgebrhwetyaoo shares the stick-on ID that athletes will wear on their race kits in Kingston.” They posted a picture of  Ethiopian long-distance runner Hagos Gebrhiwet holding his player ID, a white netted kind of vest that could be worn over their jerseys.

They also reported the color patterns of these IDs. “🔴 Racers rep red.⚪️ Challengers wear white.🟡 The winners from each event group’s first day of racing will get a yellow one before their second race.” But the change didn’t get away scot-free! Tara Davis-Woodhall did not waste much time in replying to the post. They made the same post on Threads as well where she quoted the thread and wrote, “That’s still a bib😂“. Davis already has a long history with the Grand Slam Track, and this reply can either be a friendly jab or fuel in the fire.

Well, for those of you who don’t know what a bib is, let us help. A bib in track and field is a tool for race directors to tell these thousands of runners apart and to simplify the seemingly impossible task of getting a time for every one of these runners. You might have seen those papers with athlete’s names and numbers stuck around their back or stomach. Those are bibs.

Michael Johnson had earlier announced that they were not going to be a part of the Grand Slam Track. He said, “When an athlete is trying to focus on performing at their best, the bibs are a distraction. The fastest, most efficient athletes in the world are competing with a piece of paper safety pinned on. It just reeks of amateurism.”  Now which is better the netted shirt or printed paper? That’s for you to decide. Tara with her reply does not claim which one is better either but she sure does not have good feelings for Grand Slam Track. 

Tara Davis Woodhall feels Grand Slam Track is running the sport

GST is not a track and field event. The event misses out on half the aspect of the sport which is a field. Field events include long jump, disc throw, javelin, etc. GST does not include this, but why is that? Well league director Michael Johnson had said earlier, “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.”

The event has not received much or any kind of appreciation from the Woodhalls. The two hit back at Michael’s saving comment on their Instagram story. “It’s actually Michael you’re ruining this sport if you’re trying to save just track, it’s track and field for a reason.” She emphasized the union of two. The Olympian further went on to have a little personal attack on the track and field legend. She said, “We don’t need your saving, you’re long gone, your time has passed. If you wanted to change the sport, you should’ve changed it a long time ago instead you were skipping all of the sports.”

She had support from her husband who just told Michael to “Stop coming back because no one cares to be honest and we’re doing just fine, we’re doing great,” It just did not end there. Money is a huge point in GST and Tara also took a dig at that via a thread post. She said, “The internet is wild. The haters are real. People always think it’s about money. It’s about authenticity of the sport. Y’all acting like this league is helping the athletes who aren’t getting paid.” Money is a huge issue in track and field and GST did come as a financial support for showcasing your talent. Who do you support in this feud?