Athletics legend Michael Johnson praises PTO ahead of the US Open triathlon event in Dallas this weekend
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BySam Few
Updated 21/09/2022 at 13:34 GMT
American legend Michael Johnson has commended the triathlon body, PTO, for promoting athletes' stories and personalities. Johnson lauded the athlete-owned organisation for their approach to professionalising the sport, understanding promotion and what drives viewership ahead of the PTO US Open event in Dallas on 17-18 September.
'We've seen more kids getting involved' - Johnson on PTO, Dallas and the rise of triathlon
American legend Michael Johnson has praised the Professional Triathletes Organisation (PTO) for its ability to tell compelling stories ahead of the US Open event in Dallas this weekend.
Johnson believes the PTO have strong foundations in place to shift the focus away from times and distances, instead promoting athletes' stories and personalities, and says the PTO is setting the template for other sports, including athletics.
"That's what really interests me in what PTO is doing," said Johnson.
"They're sort of separating away from, you know, the sort of governing body roles and really focusing on professionalising the sport and understanding what promotion is all about and what drives viewership, which is exactly what we need to do in track and field as well.
"Athletics has the same exact problem that PTO is solving for triathlon.
"The stars are there, the competition is certainly there. The great athletes are there. The great athleticism on display is there. The problem is, is that someone has to take that sport and put it in front of people, you know, and tell the stories and show it in a way that is compelling."
The PTO enjoyed a successful re-launch in 2020 amid the Covid pandemic - supporting events which could take place by boosting prize money. They vowed to create new triathlon events including the US Open. This spectacle will make its eagerly-awaited debut in Dallas, Texas, this weekend.
Highlighting the love for sport that is present in Dallas, a venue Johnson believes is well-suited to the US Open event, he commented on the growing influence of triathlon on the younger generation:
"It's a really good triathlon scene in Dallas and always has been. I think that's great for the event, but certainly great for the city as well. I think you'll see lots of folks coming out to really enjoy [it], families and kids in particular are really big on sport in the Dallas area.
"We've seen over the last couple of years more kids getting involved in the sport of triathlon as an alternative to, you know, sort of ball and bat sort of sports. I think it's a great venue for the event."
Triathlon has no issue with interest from fans, but is aiming to attract people who are not already invested in the sport and Johnson identified similarities between athletics and triathlon and their battle to grow audiences.
"That's what interested me really in what PTO was doing here is trying to take these amazing athletes who have dedicated their lives to this sport and producing amazing performances," added Johnson.
"And it's not for lack of, you know, just like with track and field, it's not for lack of an interest in those sports.
"It's that people outside of those sports who aren't currently fans haven't been exposed to those sports enough. And that's up to, you know, typically up to governing bodies and league sports to do that sort of thing."
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Watch the PTO US Open triathlon on discovery+ and eurosport.co.uk on 17-18 September.
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