by Lord Coe says Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam bit is no threat to world athletics and hopes new competition succeeds.
Four-time American Olympic champion Johnson kicked off a piece of the Grand Slam in June with the championship for its inaugural season in 2025.
The major announcements and lucrative prizes have helped build hype around the track-based competition, which will focus on events from 100 meters to 5,000 meters.
My goal as an athlete was to do things no one had done before! Some said I couldn’t, but many said I could. My goal again with @Grandslamtrack it’s doing things that haven’t been done. And like before, I’m motivated by all the people who say I can!
pic.twitter.com/ytxxzrfwpd
– Michael Johnson (@mjgold) June 21, 2024
As well as a $12.6m (£10m) prize pot, 48 contracted ‘racers’ will receive a base salary to compete in the four slams.
US cities Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles will host after the tournament in Kingston, Jamaica, while the Diamond League – the sport’s established professional circuit – will hold 15 meetings again in 2025 with record prize money totaling 9.2 million of dollars (£7.3 million).
“We should take comfort that we have created a landscape where people think it is worth investing in our sport,” said Coe, current president of World Athletics, when asked about the Grand Slam during a press conference.
“They weren’t doing it five years ago and they weren’t doing it 15 years ago. I am very welcoming of all kinds of innovation and investment within reason.
“It’s important that we work as collaborators here and not competitors.
“I want them to succeed and add luster to our sport. I think there is space for everyone here as long as there is communication and we have coordination of the schedule.
“I don’t see it as a threat. I never saw competition as a threat. You either work with the competition or you don’t.
“Frankly, this is an organization that welcomes all kinds of innovation. We showed that we are not afraid of that, and I wish Michael success. »
Coe, a two-time Olympic 1500m gold medalist, is currently one of seven candidates for president of the International Olympic Committee.
The successor to outgoing President Thomas Bach will be elected at the IOC session in Athens next March.
If Coe is successful, her position at World Athletics will immediately be filled by senior vice president Ximena Restrepo.
Coe said: “Our governance and our constitution are very clear. If there is a vacancy at World Athletics, keeping in mind that there is also a transition period of three and a half to four months, this role would be in the very capable hands of Ximena Restrepo.
“We know exactly what would happen, essentially what we describe as a vacancy policy.
“If anyone in our governance structure walks away, we are absolutely clear how we replace and evolve seamlessly, as any good organization should be structured.”
