Some sports have a lot of opportunities, while others offer very few to their athletes. Moreover, some sports have multiple championships and leagues throughout the year. But there are sports that conduct only a few global meets. Sprinting legend Michael Johnson recently tweeted to express similar concerns about the track events.

Track events are challenging because there is not much difference in time. Moreover, winners are determined based on differences in hundredths of a second.

Michael Johnson and his concerns regarding track and field events

Johnson understands this well from experience. He is still regarded as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. However, in light of the upcoming World Athletics Championships 2022, the former sprinter posted on Twitter to shed light on the reality of track and field events.

The retired athlete feels that sprinting events do not have enough global meets during a season. It presents a contrasting picture, as most sports organize frequent championships. The concern partly seems to stem from the fact that there are not many major competitions on the global stage that holds annual meets other than the Worlds.

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However, that was not all the retired sprinter had to say. In the tweet, he also raised concerns regarding the financial opportunities in the sport. According to him, the lack of major global meets impedes athletes’ chances to earn better through sponsorships and endorsements.

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The tweet reads, “Track is hard! Only 1 major championship per year. Major earning opportunities based on that 1 championship. No ‘best of’series. Survive elimination from prelims to final. No timeouts. No quarters. No halves.Gun goes off. You succeed or you don’t.”

What does the former sprinter suggest for the sport’s upliftment?

Johnson is quite vocal about better exposure for the sport. Previously, he also raised concerns regarding the drop in viewership of track and field events. Gymnastics, swimming, and track and field events draw in the highest number of viewers at the Olympics. However, in recent years, there seems to be a decline in the viewership of sprinting events.

The decorated sprinter helped shed light on it. Moreover, he wants to draw audiences back to the sport.

Iconic Sprinter Michael Johnson Calls Better Exposure for Track and Field, Netflix’s Drive to Survive Taken as an Example

When Netflix released a four-season documentary series on F1 racing, “Drive to Survive,” Johnson hinted at a similar tactic to bring back audiences.

What is your take on the declining viewership and need for more competitions for track and field events? Let us know in the comments down below: