NFL
By: Zachary Draves
It is usually the case that every four years, track and field captures the attention of the world during the two-week period at the Olympics. In the United States, it is typically the only time anyone truly gives a hoot about the sport and when the best of the best generally become household names (Jesse Owens, Wilma Rudolph, Carl Lewis, Jackie Joyner Kersee, Florence Griffith Joyner, Michael Johnson, Sha’Carri Richardson, etc.)
Now we are seeing a tide turn where doors are being opened for track and field in ways that are both unimaginable and for many long overdue.
In April, it was announced that World Athletics would pay Olympic runners $50,000 for winning a gold medal at the upcoming Paris Games. Monetary benefits for silver and bronze are currently in the works and may come in time for the Los Angeles games in 2028.
A feat that comes as a major win for former Olympic long jumper Brittney Reese, who won a gold medal in the 2012 London Games, two silver medals in 2016 and 2020, and holds the indoor American record in the long jump.
(Courtesy: David J. Phillip/AP)
“It means a lot,” she said to Team NBS Media. “It has shown that our sports are trying to grow. A lot of them are not making money. It is a step in the right direction.”
Shortly thereafter, Olympic legend Michael Johnson announced that he had secured $30 million in funds to launch a professional track league next year in collaboration with the sports licensing company Winner’s Alliance.
(Courtesy: Getty Images)
All this comes at a time when track and field is on the upswing in terms of visibility, participation, and ratings as well as various prominent athletes looking to break through the vast sports media landscape.
In 2022, the World Track and Field Championships in Eugene, Oregon generated a total of 18.7 million viewers on NBC Sports.
According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, outdoor track and field is the second most popular sport for boys and girls with a 6.5% increase in participation for girls in the 2022/2023 academic year.
American sprinters Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson have been using the power of the media to tell their stories and generate interest.
Lyles, an Olympic hopeful who won the gold medal in the 100 meters at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, released a Netflix docuseries Untitled: The Noah Lyles Project about his journey just in time before the Worlds. He also won another gold medal in the 100 meters at the Bermuda Grand Prix on April 28th.
(Courtesy: Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports)
Richardson, who has become a phenom and won the 100 meters at the same Worlds, has teamed up with Cardi B. to help promote the upcoming Paris games with NBC.
(Courtesy: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Many are expecting Lyles and Richardson to win big.
“Track and field is the highlight of the Olympics” said Reese. “People want to see who can run the fastest, jump the highest. It is a big deal and it is a great deal to see.”
In the United States, track and field athletes are usually underrepresented in the broader sporting landscape outside of annual events such as the Nationals, Worlds, and Olympics.
As a result, many go overseas to get attention and make money, which Reese hopes will change with these new investments.
“We can only hope so, she said. “We can see where this leads us. It is great for them to make money outside of flying overseas to make money.”
Reese, 37, coaches at Gulfport High School in her hometown of Gulfport, Mississippi foresees this as increasing the desire on the part of the next generation to want to compete in the Olympics and she wants them to know that if they continue to do what they are supposed to do, the opportunities are endless, even more so.
“Keep working hard, she said. “The money will be there. Each year something different happens. Be patient, the money will come, all you have to do is your job.”
Olympics