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Following the successful outcome of the ATHLOS track meet, founder Alexis Ohanian reveals long-term goal for female athletes in track and field.
ATHLOS boss Alexis Ohanian has revealed the motivation behind starting the record-breaking women-only track meet and his long-term goals for the sport.
The inaugural ATHLOS meet took place on September 26 at the Icahn Stadium on Randall’s Island in New York City, was a one-night-only event that featured some of the fastest women in the world including Olympic champions and World Record holders meet for a track showdown unlike any other.
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With an offer of the largest-ever purse for women-only competition, the women-only competition modernized the sport by combining "competition with entertainment, including a performance by top musician Megan Thee Stallion after the last race, that drew “near-universal praise” from participants and fans globally.
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13:21 - 04.10.2024
'It's disappointing' - ATHLOS boss Alexis Ohanian calls out Michael Johnson on upsetting 'athlete-friendly' option given to female participants
An unhealthy option by Michael Johnson given to some athletes that competed at the inaugural ATHLOS meet in New York didn't sit well with ATHLOS founder Alexis Ohanian.
In addition, the meet also broke the record of viewership for women's sports across all social media platforms, garnering 3 million views, which smashed the record-breaking viewership of Caitlyn Clark's WNBA debut for Indiana Fever, watched by 2.1 million viewers.
Following the successful outcome, founder Ohanian revealed the motivation behind starting and sponsoring the project and his long-term goals for female athletes in track and field.
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"My goal with ATHLOS is to create an infrastructure that helps these athletes find more pathways to compete professionally for years to come," said Ohanian on the Ready Set Go podcast with legendary track sprinter Justin Gatlin.
Participating sprinters at the ATHLOS meet competed in six races - 100mH, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m, and 1500m, and saw each race winner take home $60,000, second-place earners $25,000, third place claimed $10,000, $8,000 for fourth, $5,000 for fifth, and $2,500 for sixth place.
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