Johnson expects more stars to join Grand Slam

Michael Johnson is confident that his Grand Slam Track will go from strength to strength, as the curtain came down on the circuit's inaugural meet in Kingston on April 6, after three days of action in a mostly empty stadium.

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KINGSTON - Michael Johnson is confident that his Grand Slam Track will go from strength to strength, as the curtain came down on the circuit's inaugural meet in Kingston on April 6, after three days of action in a mostly empty stadium.

Conceived by Johnson as a way of reinvigorating interest in athletics outside of Olympic years, his four-event series aims to showcase more races between the world's best runners, sprinters and hurdlers.

But while the athletes in Kingston served up some high-quality performances, the opening event failed to capture the imagination of spectators, with swathes of empty seats at the National Stadium.

Filling the stands proved tricky, even as the meet boasted the likes of Olympic champion Gabrielle Thomas, who won the long sprints group on April 5, and local outlets reported that free tickets were on offer for the final two days.

Few places in the world can rival Jamaica in its love for track, but for a third day in a row, large areas of the stands sat empty, drawing critics online as images of empty seats circulated on social media.