If you missed the nonstop action of the track and field events at the Paris 2024 Olympics, don’t worry: another highly anticipated event is just around the corner.
This week, the world’s fastest women will compete in a track and field showdown like no other. For the first time ever, under the lights of New York City, Athlos NYC The tournament is an all-female gathering of Olympic champions, world record holders and other stars (as well as must-see names in music) with the aim of modernising the sport and raising awareness of its athletes.
Interested? We’ll tell you everything you need to know about this lightning-fast new track event.
When and where is Athlos taking place?
It’s almost here! The Athlos tournament will kick off on Thursday, September 26th at Icahn Stadium in New York City. Located on Randalls Island, the 5,000-seat stadium also hosts the home games of the New York City Football Club.
How was Athlos created?
News of the inaugural event broke in the spring when it was reported that Alexis Ohanian, co-founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, had invested in women’s track and field at the 776 Invitational through his venture capital firm Seven Seven Six. ESPN He said in April that he began following professional athletics last year and saw a need to address the lack of media coverage and broadcast opportunities outside of the Olympic Games.
“The sport is really popular every four years during the Olympics and then it seems to just disappear, all the coverage and everything,” Ohanian told ESPN.
Ohanian, who is also the principal owner and founding investor of Angel City FC and Los Angeles Golf Club, said he studied the structure of the Diamond League, the top circuit for professional track and field athletes, and began messaging athletes to learn more about the state of the sports world. In the process, he met Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas, who eventually became his partner in founding Athros NYC.
“Athletics is an underfunded sport, especially in an Olympic year, so any additional funding would mean a lot to the athletes, it would help more people get into the sport and stay in the sport, and I think it would ultimately create a better product,” Thomas said. ESPN.
Thus, the games, renamed Athros (Greek for “contest or trial” in relation to athletics), were born.
How many races are there?
The Athlos includes six races: the 100m hurdles, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m. It is a tighter schedule than most elite track and field meets, which usually feature more events and longer distances.
And the races are expected to be spectacular, with several legends and elite athletes taking to the starting line in each event, including Thomas and Olympic bronze medalist Brittany Brown (200m), 800m world champion Mary Mora and U.S. champion Nia Akins (800m) and three-time Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon (1500m). Other celebritiesA total of 36 women will take part in the competition.
What makes Athlos different from other athletics events?
First, Athlos will be an all-women’s event. Second, it will have the largest prize money ever awarded to a women’s track athlete, according to ESPN. The top six finishers in each race will receive $60,000 for the winner, $25,000 for second, $10,000 for third, $8,000 for fourth, $5,000 for fifth, and $25,000 for sixth. In August, Ohanian upped the purse, saying that anyone who wins a gold medal in Paris would receive an additional $60,000.
