The legendary American sprinter who dominated the 90s, 4x Olympics gold medalist Michael Johnson recently revealed his dissatisfaction on Twitter over how track-and-field achievements have not made the cut as newsworthy by the American media. The issue was raised when Johnson saw a tweet by journalist Alex Seftel as he shared an interview with a British athlete, Jazmin Sawyers, with BBC.

As Johnson re-tweeted the tweet, he also shared a message as he penned his frustration with the his followers. Let us have a look at what he said in his tweet.

Michael Johnson’s discontentment with the American media

The long jumper from Britain, Jazmin Sawyers, appeared on BBC Breakfast TV on the morning of 7th March. Notably, she was invited to the show as she won a gold medal in the European Indoor Championships. Moreover, she also created her personal best in the championship. However, as Johnson watched the video, he shared his point of view and took a dig at American media. In his tweet, he quoted, “Wish our US athletes could also get this type attention. She broke the national record and won the World Indoor champs and is celebrated on the #1 morning show. Equivalent of NBC Today Show in America.”

Michael Johnson’s opinion began an online debate in the comments section. A few agreed with him, whereas others had a different opinion. Here is what the fans said.

DIVE DEEPER

One of the fans shared a different opinion than what Johnson had to offer. The conversation led to a thread of comments as the two engaged in a to-and-fro communication. The user wrote,

Johnson tried to reason as detailed on the reality of things as an insider of the sport.

Whereas another follower came forward and tried to explain the difference and the reasons causing these differences. He tweeted,

Furthermore, Lacey J Henderson, an American Paralympian from the US, also shared her experience of working with American and British audiences.

In addition, another fan and the journalist himself from whom Johnson re-tweeted Jazmine’s video tried to reason with a concerned Johnson. Moreover, Seftel also recommended that athletics isn’t in a very good position overall and needs to revisit on how to augment its visibility and representation.

Michael Johnson was able to open up a long-forgotten debate to bring renewed interests and fresh perspectives among fans and followers of the sport. However, if these debates find relevant solution materialized into the reality is a matter too early to comprehend.

Watch This Story: From Tyson Gay to Usain Bolt- Top-5 Richest Track and Field Athletes Out There