'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone expressed her thoughts about competing in Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track in its upcoming season as the league struggled with multi-million dollar payments to vendors. The American athlete shared that there were multiple aspects that she would have to consider before making a final decision.
The Olympic gold medalist was one of the star athletes who participated in the inaugural edition of Grand Slam Track, which was launched by Michael Johnson. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone went out of her comfort zone and competed in the short sprints that included the 100m and the 100m hurdles early in the outdoor season.
As the new track league gained popularity among the masses, it was revealed that Grand Slam Track had unpaid dues, which reportedly amounted to multi-million dollars. Moreover, the final edition of the track meet that was slated to take place in Los Angeles was cancelled. Michael Johnson made a public statement and apologized to fans, while it was announced that the track league was able to raise $5.5 million from some investors and is working towards raising the remaining amount in the upcoming days.
Trending
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone weighed in on competing in the upcoming season of the meet in an interview with NBC News and shared that even though athletes were impressed by the model, it was important to look into the sustainability aspect of the meet before she made any decision about her future.
"It's a good question. I think we'd have to see how it comes back and what the security of it looks like. I think there were a lot of athletes who loved the model, loved what they were able to put out from a product standpoint, but of course, you have to be able to sustain that. And so, we would honestly just have to see what that sustainability looks like before venturing into anything moving forward," she said.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opens up about the impact of Grand Slam Track
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened up about the impact of Grand Slam track in an interview with Athletics Weekly. The American athlete shared that the races were widely loved by track fans, and the struggles of the league do not reflect the athletes or the track community as a whole.
Moreover, she expressed that it gave track athletes a platform to compete in a different set of events that pushed them beyond their limits in the outdoor season.
“I don’t think so. I think track and field is still track and field. I think the unfortunate nature of that situation is exclusive to that situation. I don’t think that at all reflects on the athletes or on our sport. I think it reflects on how that particular situation has been handled, and I think people still love track and field regardless,” Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone said.
McLaughlin-Levrone hopes to inspire the next generation of athletes with her performances and reduce the world record even further in the upcoming season.
