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Asafa Powell fully backs Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track while agreeing with Noah Lyles on one key flaw about the sport that needs changing including in his country else his children will never run for Jamaica.
Asafa Powell, once the fastest man in the world and a cornerstone of Jamaica’s sprinting dominance, is calling for a fundamental shift in how athletes are supported.
In a powerful series of statements on his YouTube Channel The Powells, Powell threw his weight behind two of the sport’s most vocal reformers — American sprint champion Noah Lyles and Olympic legend Michael Johnson — insisting that unless the Jamaican system changes, his sons will never represent the country.
“If the system doesn't change — if things don’t improve by the time these kids grow up, and if they’re even interested in sports like running — then trust me, they’re not going to run for free. None of them will,” said Powell.
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“I’ve run for free my entire life. I ran for Jamaica purely out of pride — for the flag, for the colors. But I never got anything from the country. Nothing.”
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For Powell, the message is clear: without long-term infrastructure and financial stability for athletes, national representation will and should become a secondary concern.
While Powell’s remarks have split public opinion, with some questioning his patriotism, his core message resonates with the struggles many athletes face once the spotlight fades.
He argues that Jamaica, while celebrated for its track stars, still treats sporting success as entertainment not an industry requiring investment, planning, and sustainability.
“Track and field — if you don’t go to the Olympics and win a medal or do something big — you’re seen as a nobody,” he explained.
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“So I’m really glad Noah Lyles is speaking up about all of this right now.”
Powell praised Lyles for challenging the status quo, but he also lauded Michael Johnson for creating the Grand Slam Track series — a competition designed to give athletes real earning power outside of Olympic cycles.
“I have to respect what Michael Johnson is doing because he's really trying to make it easier for athletes to earn money — good money,” said Powell.
“Usually, if you're not at the top — if you're not like a Usain Bolt, Asafa Powell, or Justin Gatlin — you don't really see real money in the sport. So I respect that he's trying to change that.”
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What disappoints Powell is the lack of support the initiative received in Jamaica — the very place it launched.
“I'm just sorry that Jamaica didn’t support it more, especially because they started it in Jamaica,” he said. “Jamaica is supposed to be a track and field country — which, honestly, I don’t think it is. It feels more like a bandwagon thing.”
The sprinter argued that, unlike football, which consistently packs stadiums regardless of results, athletics in Jamaica often depends on moments of success to capture national attention.
“When we have people winning, everyone jumps on. But if you watch a football match between Jamaica and Mexico, the whole stadium is packed,” he said.
“I believe Jamaica is a football country. All the football matches are sold out. And don’t get me wrong — I love football. I love all sports. But when people say Jamaica is a track country, I just don’t believe that.”
In echoing Lyles and endorsing Johnson, Powell is sending a message not just to Jamaica, but to the wider world of track and field: national pride is noble, but not enough.
Without a viable economic model for the sport, future stars , including his own children , may choose not to wear the green, gold, and black.
“So yeah, I really appreciate what Michael Johnson is doing — he's trying to make it easier for athletes to earn a living in this sport,” Powell concluded.
For Powell, it's no longer just about running for a flag. It's about running toward a future that values athletes beyond their medals.
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