Legendary American 400m sprinter Michael Johnson has partnered with Winners Alliance to develop a new professional track and field league.
The format is as yet unknown but is set to debut in 2025 and resemble US sports leagues, but with global athletes.
“I am excited about my new track venture,” Johnson said in a post on social media.
“I have teamed up with some great partners and together we are making the biggest investment ever into professional track and field to build a professional, truly fan-focused league that will unlock commercial value for the best track and field athletes in the world.
“There’s more to come.”
Johnson venture
Johnson’s venture will aim to help athletes commercialise themselves and build brands in a way the sport has struggled with since Usain Bolt.
Recent World Championships in Eugene, Oregon saw a disappointing turnout in what is the home of sports brand giant Nike while the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham saw packed crowds.
“I don’t think anyone [until now] has tried to show the essence of the sport and really put the athletes front and centre,” Winners Alliance president Eric Winston said.
“It’s not just track; athletes are the main event. The NBA has made a push to put their athletes front and centre and even the NFL, which was always a team-driven league, has done so as well.”
“We just felt like it’s the right time, right person and right place and with our engine we can really give this the boost it needs to get it going.”
Winners Alliance launched in 2023 and describes itself as a “global, athlete-centric commercial solution dedicated to unifying and unleashing the collective power of athletes so they can win on and off the playing field”.
The next major event on the athletics circuit are the World Indoor Championships in Glasgow this weekend.