Michael Johnson’s illustrious career demands respect from every track and field fan. The American athlete won four Olympic and eight World Championship gold medals during his time as a runner. But now, he is all set to take on a different role as the owner of the newly formed Grand Slam Track. The league promises better pay for the athletes and more competitive races for the fans to watch and enjoy.

For this to be a reality, the league has signed numerous top athletes like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Cole Hocker, Fred Kerley, and Kenny Bednarek. Thus, one can expect intense competition throughout all the categories, with stars present in almost all of them. However, Michael Johnson himself is particularly excited to watch the 400-meter race.

This is because he feels that the future of the category seems very interesting to the fans, as they’re going to see a lot of scrappy races like the one during the Paris Olympics finals. He felt that the competition in 400m had gone on to such a level that the runners must now start very quickly to end up winning. But some would have to fight their way first to the finish line, as the dying minutes of the race are very important, making it very tough.

In an official interview with Grand Slam Track, Michael Johnson said, “In the 400m, it’s going to be a fight all the way to the finish line. It’s going to be interesting. It’s going to be cool. I’m looking forward to it because I don’t have to run.” While saying this, he cited the example of Mukala Samukonga, who won the bronze medal in Paris.

Muzala finished the race in a time of 43.74 seconds. This was barely 0.4 seconds ahead of the fourth-placed Jereem Richards, who finished in 43.78 seconds. This meant he had to maintain concentration in the dying minutes to fend off Jereem’s advances and end up on the podium. However, the highlight of this final would be Quincy Hall’s incredible comeback from the fourth position to the top spot just before the race ended.

The US athlete had to overtake his three rivals at the end of the race. Matthew Hudson-Smith, who led the pack in most of the race, had to settle for the silver because of Quincy’s heroics. This made for an incredible watch for the fans. There is a chance we might see something similar to this on the Grand Slam track too, as all the runners on the podium will be participating in the league.

All 400m Paris Olympic medal winners will compete in the Grand Slam Track

The trio of Quincy Hall, Matthew Hudson-Smith, and Muzala Samukonga have signed on for the Grand Slam track after their exemplary performances at the Paris Olympics. This is great news for the league, as it means that the best in the category will all be making an appearance. Announcing the signings, Michael Johnson said that these athletes were on top of their game and thus would align with the ethos of GST, which was to bring the best athletes in the world and create great races for the fans.

Talking about his inclusion, Quincy Hall said that this was the right challenge for him after winning the gold in the Paris Olympics. “I love the idea of a league that’s focused on racing head-to-head against the best in the world, and this gives us a new platform to do that. I know there’s a lot more I can do, and I’m ready to see how far I can push myself in this league,” he said.

Matthew Hudson-Smith also said that while he has had quite a long career in track, the Grand Slam track allows him to compete in something new and be part of the ongoing revolution in track and field. Thus, it seems that the athletes are pumped up and ready to go. Hopefully, we see a great race like the Olympic finals once again.