NEW YORK, NEW YORK — APRIL 23: Olympic Sprinter Gabby Thomas speaks during a conversation with Alexis Ohanian, Principal Owner, Angel City Football Club & Los Angeles Golf Club, during the Business of Women Sport Summit presented by Deep Blue Sports and Axios at Chelsea Factory on April 23, 2024 in New York City. NEW YORK — Alexis Ohanian, the billionaire co-founder of Reddit and husband of Serena Williams, had some questions for one of the fastest women sprinters in the world.
Athletes from the United States and abroad will compete for a total purse of at least $500,000, with $60,000 to first, $25,000 for second and $10,000 for third in a yet-to-be determined number of events. It is richer than most events on the professional circuit, men or women; gold medalists at last year’s world championships earned $70,000.
Ohanian’s entry into track and field offers promise for a sport that struggles to gain traction in America outside of the Olympics every four years. For now, he is limiting his investment to only women’s events. “At some point, I was like, wait, this is just like women’s soccer,” Ohanian said. “I was like, ‘How is this is a sport people only care about in America once every four years?’ It doesn’t make sense.’ ”