The Jamaican leg of the highly-anticipated Grand Slam Track series was launched in Kingston on Monday, with the event’s founder, four-time Olympic champion and former world record holder Michael Johnson underlining the importance of kicking off the series in the island.

Grand Slam Track, a new cash-rich professional four-stop series, which will kick off at the National Stadium, April 4-6, has already attracted some of the biggest names in international track and field, including American great Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, Alison Dos Santos, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn as well as Jamaicans Rushell Clayton, Roshawn Clarke and Ackera Nugent with other athletes being added to the list.

Johnson underscored the need to package the sport to a new audience while guaranteeing more matchups between the world’s best in their respective events.

The event promises the most cash prizes in the sport with an overall sum of US$12.5 million on offer with respective winners pocketing US$100,000.

“We could not be more excited to be coming here to Jamaica for the first ever Grand Slam Track,” said Johnson, who shared that his first trip outside of the United States was to compete at the National Stadium at the Mutual Life Games in 1989.

“I was inspired by that moment,” said Johnson.

“Jamaica truly has earned its place as one of the preeminent track and field countries in the world. This country has punched far above its weight when it comes to track and field, so it’s only fitting that through this new professional series, that we honour that excellence in track that Jamaica has always represented and continued to represent,” Johnson added.

Sports Minister Olivia “Babsy” Grange welcomed the event’s upcoming arrival in Jamaica and believes it will help to promote the island as a centre of sports tourism and provide opportunities for athletes.