Michael Johnson’s Sports Center Interview

Michael Johnson on Sports Center.

Learn more about Grand Slam Track and Michael Johnson’s story.

this Justin the sports center four-time US Olympic champion Michael Johnson today officially launched Grand Slam track the new Global home of professional track competition the league will host four annual slams during the spring and summer season in four Global cities the inaugural slam will take place in April of 2025 followed by three more slams over the summer months and look at this four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson is here with us on Sports Center and Michael what more can you tell us about this league and specifically the slams competitions yeah you can see by this big smile on my face that I’m super excited about this this is the professional league for the best and fastest track athletes in the world the most popular athletes in the world this is what fans have been asking for we’ve got the Olympics coming up here you know in Paris in a month’s time typically after that we’ve got to wait for another four years to see this type of head-to-head competition but starting next spring next April Grand Slam track will be bringing fans the fastest athletes in the world the most popular athletes competing head toe and our athletes are contracted to our league so unlike other competitions they’re guaranteed to show up this is about the storytelling it’s you know Grand Slam Tennis majors golf majors imagine that with the storytelling of UFC Formula 1 that’s what we’re doing and we’re just extremely excited about this well you’ve wasted no time you’ve already signed your first racer an Olympian Sydney mlin levrone gold medalist in hurdles what will she bring to this league as it launches yeah cydney is is the just epitomizes what we want for this league she gets up for the big moment she’s also world champion Olympic champion world record holder she is just so dominant across so many different events 400 meter hurdles 400 meter Splat and 200 met even as well that we see her here so she’s that athlete who gets up and has her best performances when it’s big crowds major television Fierce competition and that’s what we’re going to be bringing now four times a year so we couldn’t be happier with uh with Sydney as our as our first athlete and first racer of the league well congratulations that’s quite the accomplishment she’s prepping for the Olympic trials this week as we speak you’ve obviously been there multiple times what is one thing people need to know about how hard it is to get to that stage yeah it’s you know everybody wants to be there and a very small few get to get to the go to the Olympic Games just getting there was is extremely difficult especially for an American athlete we have the US Olympic trials starting this Friday uh in Eugene Oregon and you know you’ve got to finish top three uh out of some of the best in the world I can remember 1992 Olympic trials myself where there was you know six of the eight finalists at our Olympic trials were ranked in the top 10 in the world which means that we left home a few people who could win medals so that’s just how difficult ult it is and then you’ve got to produce on the day unlike other sports you know if you have a bad performance or wake up that morning with a sore hamstring on the late day of the Olympic final you know there is no next year you’ve got to wait another four years so it’s all about being prepared and so that you can deliver your best performance on the day it is extremely difficult Michael you mentioned that track is a sport within other sports and so if you could look to other major sports is there someone you think would make a very good track star yeah I mean there there are athletes who have the mentality and you know the first person I think about was someone who talks about it all of the time is Tyreek Hill Tyreek is amazing he’s quick he’s fast you know he’s talked about how he could possibly beat Usain Bolt Usain Bolt is not those guys that you see right there those DBS that are not able to stay with him Usain Bolt is the fastest in the world our track athletes at Grand Slam track are the fastest in the world so Tyreek while he’s quick on the field against those DBS he would not be able to stay with our grand slam track racers uh but he’s got the mentality because you have to have that confidence and believe that you can and then you got to put the work in which Tyreek does but sadly for Tyreek he would not be able to stay with our grand FR track race so stick to your day day job Tyreek is what you’re telling us Michael uh his name is cheetah right his name is cheetah maybe for a reason it is called Grand Slam track first event scheduled for April of 2025 four-time Olympics gold medalist Michael Johnson Le leaning the way it’s going to be awesome thank you Michael so much for joining us good luck on the launch of your new league thank you