Rai Benjamin: I don’t like the Grand Slam format

Reigning Olympic 400m hurdles champion Rai Benjamin has spoken candidly about the Michael Johnson Grand Slam League, which is set to debut in 2025.

The American has yet to sign up for the league and has revealed that he may not even do so despite the hefty prize money set aside for the top 10 finishers.

Rai Benjamin revealed that it would not be appropriate for him to sign a contract for next year due to the long season. The World Championships in Tokyo are scheduled for the end of the season, from September 13 to 21.

He explained that the league has few events and he would not want to compete so much in preparation for the most important event of the season. Benjamin added that the different venues would require a lot of movement, which he does not like.

The first edition of the event will be held in Kingston, Jamaica, before the Grand Slam competitions head to Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. He also agrees with Noah Lyles about the need for a broadcast partner, something that has yet to be announced.

“I’ll be honest. I really don’t like the format… there’s a lot of racing very early on, considering how long it’s going to be next year. We’ll see. But I don’t think so right now”, said Rai Benjamin in an interview.