Dalilah Muhammad says events like the Grand Slam Track give athletes more opportunities.
| Photo Credit: SUDHAKARA JAIN

The Grand Slam Track, a professional track and field league, intends to boost the profile of the sport.

The event, the brainchild of former sprinter Michael Johnson, offers prize money substantially greater than what athletes receive in the Diamond League.

TCS 10K Bengaluru International Event Ambassador and two-time Olympic gold medallist Dalilah Muhammad welcomed the advent of the Grand Slam Track, stating that athletes are justified in pursuing financial stability.

“It is really beneficial. Athletes should be compensated for what they do. There are very few athletes who are truly making a living just from running alone, and being able to sustain themselves over time.

“Some athletes can only make money from meets such as the Diamond Leagues. So it is extremely important that events like the Grand Slam Track give athletes more opportunities. We do have the Diamond League, but that is not enough and we need more,” Dalilah said in a media interaction here on Thursday.

Dalilah had a breakout year in 2019, when the American broke the 400m women’s hurdles World record at the USA Outdoor Track and Field Championships with a time of 52.20s.

A couple of years later, Dalilah and Sydney McLaughlin went head-to-head in a dramatic showdown at the Tokyo Olympics. Both Dalilah and Sydney went under the World record, but it was the former who claimed gold.

Lauds Neeraj’s feat

At Tokyo, Dalilah witnessed Neeraj Chopra clinch the men’s javelin and become the first Indian athlete to win an athletics gold medal.

“That was amazing. I remember watching Neeraj in Tokyo, and that was actually my first experience watching him compete. It was honestly phenomenal, and you got to see what it meant for the country, the community and the people,” Dalilah said.