Current:Home > MyLegendary US Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson set to launch track and field league -AssetScope
Legendary US Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson set to launch track and field league
View
Date:2025-04-13 16:27:26
Olympic champion Michael Johnson is launching his own track and field league.
According to the Sports Business Journal, the legendary American runner has secured over $30 million from investors and strategic partners for a track and field league scheduled to begin next year. Winners Alliance is reportedly the lead investor and will be the league’s operating partner.
The new track and field league has reportedly added three agencies to promote the sport’s stars through fan-focused storytelling. The goal is to help promote track and field athletes and increase the popularity of the sport. Track and field is one of the most popular Olympic sports every four years and will be featured prominently at the 2024 Paris Games.
“Working to change the game for athletes and fans! League details coming this June,” Johnson posted on social media Tuesday along with a link to the Sports Business Journal article.
Johnson is one of the most decorated track and field athletes of all time. He’s a four-time Olympic gold medalist, earning golds in the 200 and 400 meters at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta and defending his 400-meter gold at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. Johnson also won gold as part of the 4x400 relay team at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
An eight-time world champion, Johnson’s personal-best time of 43.18 in the 400 that he ran in 1999 is still an American record.
Johnson’s new track and field league comes amid another big investment in the sport.
Alexis Ohanian announces 776 Invitational
Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband to Serena Williams, announced Tuesday that he’s investing in a new women’s only track and field invitational, called the 776 Invitational, coming September 2024.
“At 776, we believe in the power of sports to drive positive change and inspire future generations,” Ohanian said in a statement on the 776 Invitational’s official website. “By investing in women’s track, we aim to elevate the profile of female athletes and create a more inclusive and equitable sporting landscape."
American sprinter Gabby Thomas, the defending Olympic bronze medalist in the women’s 200, is partnering with Ohanian to help jumpstart the 776 Invitational.
"I am excited to partner with forward-thinking organizations like 776 that share our vision for advancing women's track," Thomas said in a statement. "Through this investment, we hope to not only provide athletes with the resources and visibility they need to have enduring careers but also to inspire fans worldwide with a reinvented format to experience the best of our sport."
Follow USA TODAY Sports' Tyler Dragon on X @TheTylerDragon.
veryGood! (79)
Related
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Police search huge NYC migrant shelter for ‘dangerous contraband’ as residents wait in summer heat
- San Francisco Giants' Blake Snell pitches no-hitter vs. Cincinnati Reds
- Kamala Harris is interviewing six potential vice president picks this weekend, AP sources say
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Taylor Swift combines two of her songs about colors in Warsaw
- Kansas man sentenced to prison for stealing bronze Jackie Robinson statue
- Justin Timberlake pleads not guilty to DWI after arrest, license suspended: Reports
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- Monday through Friday, business casual reigns in US offices. Here's how to make it work.
Ranking
- Trump invites nearly all federal workers to quit now, get paid through September
- IOC leader says ‘hate speech’ directed at Imane Khelif and Lin Yu-Ting at Olympics is unacceptable
- Vanderpump Rules' Scheana Shay Slams Rude Candace Cameron Bure After Dismissive Meeting
- Class is in Session at Nordstrom Rack's 2024 Back-to-College Sale: Score Huge Savings Up to 85% Off
- Macy's says employee who allegedly hid $150 million in expenses had no major 'impact'
- TikTok sued by Justice Department over alleged child privacy violations impacting millions
- After Navajo Nation Condemns Uranium Hauling on Its Lands, Arizona Governor Negotiates a Pause
- Ohio is expected to launch recreational marijuana sales next week
Recommendation
Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
Olympics 2024: China Badminton Players Huang Yaqiong and Liu Yuchen Get Engaged After She Wins Gold
UAW leader says Trump would send the labor movement into reverse if he’s elected again
Tyreek Hill of Miami Dolphins named No. 1 in 'Top 100 Players of 2024' countdown
2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
What to watch: Workin' on our Night moves
About half of US state AGs went on France trip sponsored by group with lobbyist and corporate funds
Aerosmith Announces Retirement From Touring After Steven Tyler's Severe Vocal Cord Injury