The schedule says that Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track has still four months to go live. In April’s first week, the GST will reach the Jamaican capital, Kingston. The auspicious venue of the National Stadium will kick off the debut season of GST. With a prize pool of $12.6 million, the event has already caught the eye. Now, the unique thinking of selecting the venues has earned claps. But remember, nothing settles in the dynamic realm of athletics. As per this unwritten rule, GST is on its way to face stiff competition. Credit goes to the World Athletics-undertaken track and field contest. How? 

On December 24, track and field sports raconteur Owen M broke the news on X. He revealed Diamond League’s announcement of splurging more money into the contest from the upcoming year. Previously, the Diamond League used to have the fame of being the track and field contest with the highest prize pool. But GST’s emergence put a blanket on that. But not anymore! The World Athletics has added a huge balance to the prestigious contest. 

As far as the prize money is concerned, the fresh season of the Diamond League will have $9.24 million saved as the prize money. But by adding the promotional fees of the athletes, the contest will have $18 million in its ledger. A tremendous shift from everything and a massive pot compared to GST! But here comes a basic difference. 

In the GST, the athletes will have a shot to win $100,000 as the top prize in a Slam. In a year, there will be four Slams. So, the highest bidding for the prize money will touch the ceiling of $400,000. The Diamond League will paint a different picture. 

The update from the World Athletics contest states that the schedule will hold both Diamond and Discipline events. So the athletes will get a higher chance to add numbers in their purses. But how will it work? As per the update, the disciplines will add $20,000 as the prize money to the individual athlete’s purse. In the Diamond final, this number will reach $50,000. Hold on! Things are not over yet. 

In each series meeting of Diamond + Disciplines, four athletes (two male and two female) will enter the revised prize pool. In the final, the number will be eight (four males and four females). But there will be some changes for the athletes ranking lower than the second in the series or for the contestants ranking in 9th-12th in the final. The World Athletics-owned contest has promised to double the amount in some cases. Remember, the Diamond League has 14 destinations and one final next year. The first station will be in Xiamen on April 26. Will the athletes witness the change? Well, a lot more can happen in the coming days. 

The World Athletics-owned contest has a critical time to announce things

Two factors and a gloomy sky! Hard to decode the meaning? Let us clear the air. Jordan’s Grand Slam Track has already announced the list of 48 racers. But the chart of 48 challengers per Slam has yet to come. So a lot of names should huddle to make a place in that register. But the announcement of the World Athletics contest might hold the flow. How? 

A few days ago, a post went viral on X. The post explained the reason, responsible for blocking the GST gate for several athletes. It is about the signing fees. The post reads, “I thought this too until I was told they offered one of the most decorated sprinters of our time and in history only $40k to sign with them! I literally JUST found this out! The amount of disrespect $40k is to this athlete is laughable!” On the other hand, the Diamond League is right around the corner, presenting more attempts to win the prize money. 

Furthermore, the Diamond League authority has added another $6 million to spend on transporting, accommodating, and availing the medical services for the athletes. Will these factors not work to turn the table for World Athletics? Will the Grand Slam face a massive blow in attracting major names to join the fold in the coming days? What do you think?