American legendary sprinter Michael Johnson laments over poor athletes' welfare

ATHLETICS American legendary sprinter Michael Johnson laments over poor athletes' welfare

Abigael Wafula 18:46 - 03.06.2023

Unlike back in the day, Johnson complained that nowadays many athletes tend to struggle to make a living.

Legendary American sprinter Michael Johnson has lamented over the poor handling of athletes in this day and age.

Unlike back in the day, Johnson complained that nowadays many athletes tend to struggle to make a living and suffer from mental health issues. 

Johnson took to Twitter, noting that even the best athletes in the world do not get to earn what they deserve but he has promised to look for a solution to all those woes.

He said: “Many athletes struggle to make a living, their mental health suffers, and even the best of the best don’t earn generational wealth like those in other sports who’ve accomplished much less.

"I don’t just point out the problems. I’m trying to find solutions and trying to figure out how I can help the sport we all love and these athletes.”

The eight-time Olympic champion revealed that during his time, he was able to earn a lot of money, respect, and appreciation but nowadays, that is a by the way.

“I love Track and Field. I owe everything to this sport. I know how hard it is. I want other talented hard-working track athletes to have the same things I got from track.

"To earn real pro athlete money, respect, and appreciation on par with athletes of other pro sports. But currently that isn’t the case,” he added.

He also expressed his frustrations towards people who attack him when he speaks about the challenges faced by the athletes.

“Track doesn’t need defending, it needs solutions! We can only solve the problems by first acknowledging and understanding them. Keep the dialogue going,” he concluded.

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