Grand Slam: Britain’s Daryl Neita joins Michael Johnson’s Athletics League

Sprinter Daryl Neita has become the first British woman to join Michael Johnson’s new athletics league.

Neita, 28, was part of the GB 4x100m relay team that won silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The Grand Slam, launched by American legend Johnson in June, will aim to bring together the world’s elite runners, offering $100,000 (£78,683) as a top prize.

Starting in April 2025, the new format will have a prize pool of US$12.6 million (£9.9 million), spread across four tournaments.

Neita joins 1500m runner Josh Kerr and 400m star Matthew Hudson-Smith, silver medalists at the Paris event, British athletes have confirmed for the event.

In addition to Neita, Kenya’s 800m world champion and Olympic bronze medalist Mary Moraa and Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Nasser, a former world champion who won 400m silver in Paris, were also announced as competitors for 2025.

“I’m thrilled to be the first British woman to join a Grand Slam tournament and can’t wait to get started in this new league,” Neita said.

“I love the concept and racing twice in one weekend is fun and exciting for all of us racers. This is an amazing opportunity to compete at the highest level in a completely new format that will bring a lot of energy to the sport. “

The Grand Slam Track will feature four meetings per year, two of which will take place in the United States.

The athletes will compete in two events each, and 48 athletes will receive contracts with the league.

Money in athletics has become a topic of conversation in recent months, with World Athletics announcing in April that it would pay prize money to Olympic athletes.

In June, the governing body announced a new world championship starting in 2026, with gold medalists receiving $150,000 (£118,000).

World Athletics said its championship prize fund will be $10 million (£7.87 million).

The Diamond League currently offers a $30,000 (£23,610) prize to athletes who win the competition at 15 meetings.

“They deserve compensation,” said Johnson, 56, a BBC athletics expert.

“The structure of the sport in the past has not compensated these athletes for the risk of going against the best athletes in the sport.”