Grand Slam Track promises new era for athletics but healthy scepticism remains

Grand Slam Track gets underway in Jamaica this weekend with Michael Johnson's new competition promising rivalries and unrivalled prize money for athletics' biggest names

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MICHAEL Johnson is heralding the start of a new era when Grand Slam Track debuts in Jamaica tonight.

And with unrivalled prize money attracting many of the sport’s biggest names, including GB stars Josh Kerr and Matthew Hudson-Smith, hopes are that sprint legend Johnson’s new venture can boost a sport fighting an uphill battle for attention.

GST will stage four separate three-day meets, beginning in Kingston this weekend followed by three subsequent events in the United States, with athletes across six different categories competing for a slice of a $12.6m (£10m) purse.

All will race twice across the weekend and points will be awarded - in a similar fashion to F1 - for the first eight finishers. Whoever has the most points at the end wins $100,000 while even fifth spot is worth a reasonable $20,000.

Kerr, the first Brit to sign up, has also said the 48 Racers committed for the entire season are receiving appearance fees that exceed the prize money - though the Edinburgh man is not able to talk specific numbers.

They will be joined by 48 guests, known as Challengers, at each meet and among the men’s middle distance events this weekend Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the only big name absent.

Not that world records are anticipated over the next three months. Johnson wants Grand Slam’s focus to be on head-to-head battles, viewing the series as an opportunity to develop rivalries and storylines.

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And unlike the long-established Diamond League, which is upping its prize money this summer in response to Grand Slam, there will be no pacemakers.

The action will be broadcast in 189 countries with TNT Sports snapping up the rights for the UK but tickets remain for every day of competition and there is some healthy skepticism.

UK Athletics held talks with Johnson and company about hosting a meet but a mutual decision was made to wait and see how the debut campaign develops across the Atlantic.

Olympic champions Keely Hodgkinson and Noah Lyles, meanwhile, are among those watching with interest to see how successful the venture is before potentially committing in future.

But in a week where Tokyo Olympian Ben Connor highlighted the sport’s precarious financial state when opting against competing for Britain after being asked to pay his own way, Johnson’s big money operation is already shaking things up before a starting gun is fired.

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The Grand Slam categories

Short Sprints: 100m & 200m

Short Hurdles: 100m(F) / 110m(M) Hurdles & 100m Flat

Long Sprints: 200m & 400m

Long Hurdles: 400m Hurdles & 400m Flat

Short Distance: 800m & 1,500m

Long Distance: 3,000m & 5,000m

Prize money

First place: $100,000

Second place: $50,000

Third place: $30,000

Fourth place: $25,000

Fifth place: $20,000

Sixth place: $15,000

Seventh place: $12,500

Eighth place: $10,000