‘The sport needs to evolve’

While the likes of Michael Johnson and Noah Lyles continue looking for ways to evolve the sport, Usain Bolt has agreed with their stance on the idea, even revealing an idea he had to try and mix up relay running that he once pitched to World Athletics

Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt has agreed with the likes of Michael Johnson on  the urgent need for track and field to evolve, as concerns about the sport’s declining popularity continue to grow.

 The eight-time Olympic gold medalist, who still holds world records in the 100m, 200m, and 4x100m relay, has joined the broader track and field community in calling for innovation to make the sport more engaging and lucrative.

In recent times, efforts have been made to introduce fresh, competitive formats to track and field. Notably, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track League and Alexis Ohanian’s Athlos have emerged, both offering substantial prize money to attract top athletes.

 Athlos held its first event in September 2023, with a prize pool of $663,000, while the Grand Slam Track League will debut in Kingston, Jamaica, with a $100,000 reward for each Slam group winner. However, critics argue that field events remain neglected, leaving many athletes with limited opportunities to earn a living.

On a recent episode of The Fix podcast, Bolt revealed that he had previously proposed a revolutionary concept to World Athletics—one he believed could breathe new life into the sport. However, the idea was ultimately not adopted.

Bolt’s Nitro Athletics experiment

Back in 2017, Bolt captained the Bolt All-Stars in an innovative track and field competition called Nitro Athletics, held in Australia. The event aimed to reimagine traditional athletics by incorporating unique formats that emphasized power, endurance, teamwork, and entertainment.

Michael Johnson explained the key things that would give him an edge over Usain Bolt in their prime.

“I did one thing in Australia, and I really felt that was the way forward,” Bolt said. “I pitched it to the IAAF, but it never worked out.”

The Nitro Athletics series included mixed relays and unconventional races such as the 1500m relay, where the last runner to be overlapped was required to drop out. 

The event also encouraged strategic team play, creating a dynamic competition format unlike anything seen in conventional track and field.

Bolt’s All-Stars dominated the inaugural Nitro Athletics series, securing a clean sweep against teams from Australia, England, Japan, New Zealand, and China. In his only solo appearance, Bolt won the 150m race, while his team, featuring fellow sprinting icon Asafa Powell, triumphed in the 4x100m mixed relay.

The 100m world record has evolved with Noah Lyles emerging as a top contender to challenge Usain Bolt’s legendary mark.

A missed opportunity for change?

Despite the success of Nitro Athletics, Bolt’s vision for a more engaging track and field product did not gain traction with World Athletics. He believes that resistance from various associations made it difficult to implement the changes he envisioned.

“The setup now does not generate as much money as it should, so I definitely feel the sport needs to evolve and things need to change. We need to figure out things to make it more exciting,” Bolt explained.

He suggested that track and field could adopt a model similar to football, where teams could trade athletes and introduce more strategic elements. 

“If you can create something like in football, where you can trade a person and more, then it gets more exciting, but it was hard because of the mix-up between associations.”

Bolt concluded with a stark warning: “If it does not change, then we will not get to the level we should be getting to.”

While Nitro Athletics may not have been sustained, Bolt’s call for change aligns with ongoing efforts to modernize track and field. Athlos and the Grand Slam Track League are among the latest initiatives attempting to bridge the gap between tradition and entertainment