Alexis Ohanian has always been an advocate towards athlete safety and thus, he is not holding back. The tech mogul is currently enjoying a dream run with Athlos getting a lot of support from the fans. Focusing on bridging the payment disparity issues between male and females, Ohanian came up with the idea of having an all-female event. Previously, Ohanian has invested in female soccer where he worked with Angel City FC and also had a production to deal with. Getting ample help from Gotham FC’s Mitch Pur, Ohanian contacted Gabby Thomas to discuss business. 

Now, while Ohanian’s event has been a success, there are more people trying to solve the payment issues for the athletes. One such name is Michael Johnson. In a recent announcement, Johnson introduced the concept of Grand Slam Track, a gala event for the track stars to showcase their worth. With promised prize money ranging between $100,000 to $10,000, the Grand Slam Track looks like a healthy competitor to Athlos. Unfortunately, there are some rules that the athletes need to follow. And this is exactly what has been disturbing Alexis Ohanian and the fans. And the Athlos founder is not afraid to rage a war for the same. 

Alexis Ohanian slams Michael Johnson

The Grand Slam Track will have four events that will take place between April 2025 to September 2025. But the authorities have recently laid out a strange set of rules. It states that the athletes registered with GST will have to seek permission to participate in any other similar events, including Athlos. Such a narrative infuriated Alexis Ohanian, and he immediately lashed out at Michael Johnson for trying to restrict the athletes’ free will and their flexibility to earn. 

Taking to his X account, Ohanian wrote, “Hey, @MJGold I loved seeing you + @BillAckman Follow @ATHLOS by launching @GrandSlamTrack (great to see more people investing in athletics! ), but it’s disappointing you’re requiring these women to get permission from you & Bill in order to compete in other leagues. It’s not very athlete-friendly.” He also urged Johnson to reconsider and scrap the rule from the final draft. 

As a matter of fact, this set of clauses can set up a brand war between the two seemingly giant sporting events. While Ohanian funds the Athlos, the GST is funded by Winners Alliance, chaired by billionaire Bill Jackson. Interestingly, the Winners Alliance is also part of the Professional Tennis Players’ Association, where Novak Djokovic is a co-founder. Back to the Michael Johnson-Alexis Ohanian controversy, there are a lot of Athlos athletes who are slated to compete in the Grand Slam Track. 

If the rules really get implemented, the likes of Masai Russell might well find it difficult to compete in both events. However, Front Office Sports thwarted Ohanian’s claims by saying that the athletes had no restrictions in competing in professional leagues like the Diamond League or the National Football League. But Ohanian is not convinced. He thinks that at a time when cohesive efforts are required in order to uplift the under-invested sport, these rules will stunt the process, making the athletes pick a side. 

Ohanian also took a dig at Michael Johnson earlier for not acknowledging Athlos. While announcing the Grand Slam Track, the discussion regarding Athlos was in full flow. Yet, when the Olympic champion decided to sidestep the topic, Ohanian couldn’t help but say, “No one likes being second.” However, with all the fiasco going on, the fans seem to be in tandem with Alexis Ohanian. Flocking to the comment section on a Reddit post, the netizens showered Serena Williams’ husband with love. 

Netizens speak in favor of Ohanian

When a Reddit user wondered why Alexis Ohanian made things public instead of talking it out in private, the internet world had a lot to say. Pouring in with support for Ohanian, fans thrashed the idea of an athlete being allowed to choose only one of the events between the two. 

One user criticized Alexis Ohanian’s female-only track event, arguing that gender-specific competitions aren’t needed since men and women already have equal opportunities at the elite level. Commenting, “While I don’t see the point in a female only track meet(what’s the point in sperating the two genders out? Men and Women already have equal levels of opportunities for competition at the international elite level, so by excluding one group, this is just taking steps back) having exclusivity contracts is a big red flag. This will hurt the sport and athlete, even if they are allowed to ask for permission… ” They also addressed that they found exclusivity contracts concerning.

Fans believe that the contract limit athletes’ freedom and opportunities by restricting participation in other competitions. The netizen also emphasized that decisions about where to compete should be made by the athletes and their coaches, not the event organizers, viewing this rule as detrimental to the sport.

One fan suggested that Michael Johnson would have dismissed Alexis Ohanian’s concerns if addressed privately, implying that public criticism was necessary. They wrote, “MJ being who he is would’ve dismissed him in private, I’m glad he outed him publicly… Just look at the signees, especially the early signees. They don’t care about exclusivity because 4 meets is a heavy load for them to begin with.”

The fan accused Johnson of misleading many, including those on Reddit, by enforcing restrictive rules. They also talked about how athletes who signed on with the Grand Slam Track don’t mind the exclusivity since four meets are already demanding, aligning with Johnson’s approach. Such a comment further highlights support for Ohanian’s decision to call out Johnson publicly, as private discussions might have been ineffective in protecting athletes’ freedom to compete.

One Reddit user argued that while GST offers high prize money, its exclusivity rule limits athletes’ opportunities. The user commented, “It is good business practice. For GST. Athlos’ argument, which that reply mentions but doesn’t fully address is that exclusivity is bad for athletes and the sport at large…” 

The fan opined that by restricting athletes from competing in other events like Athlos, athletes may miss out on earning more, gaining exposure, and accumulating World Athletics points, which are crucial for rankings.

One fan criticized the exclusivity rule imposed by the Grand Slam Track (GST) as counterproductive, drawing a parallel to the fragmented streaming market. The fan commented, “where does exclusivity help the greater sum of a thing? is it good for consumers, that the streaming market is splintered to 15 services and everything has some content exclusive? …”

Just as splitting content across many platforms limits consumer choice and accessibility, forcing athletes to choose between competing in GST or Athlos restricts their earning potential and flexibility. The user argues that exclusivity, whether in entertainment or sports, harms the broader goal of benefiting participants and fans by limiting access rather than fostering inclusivity and growth.

Thus, with the track and field realm getting a significant amount of attention, it now remains to be seen how far the glory days are. Do you think the publicity will do wonders for the athletes? Comment and let us know.