Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian pays Alaysha Johnson $4000 to buy tickets for family at Paris Olympics 2024

By Abhiruchi Rout

Modified Aug 09, 2024 19:20 GMT

Serena Williams' husband, Alexis Ohanian, will purchase tickets for Alaysha Johnson’s family to witness her compete in the women's 100m hurdles final at the Stade de France during the ongoing Paris Olympics. The final is set for August 10, 2024.

The 28-year-old, who is competing in her first Olympic Games, is among the medal favorites going into the final.

Following her advancement to the finals, Alaysha Johnson took to X (formerly Twitter) to humorously express her desire for someone to purchase tickets for her family to attend the final, citing the high cost of the tickets. She added:

“If anybody wants to buy me 8 tickets so my family can watch me run then I’d love yall 😭😭 but know they going for $500 a piece 😂😂😂”

American entrepreneur and investor Alexis Ohanian replied to her tweet, declaring that Athlos NYC would handle the expenses. He said:

“😤 got you. @athlos account will handle”

Alaysha Johnson then responded to this, stating:

“See now we finna turn them up!!!!!!!! Much appreciated!! See yall tomorrow & see yall in September 🤭”

Although Johnson hasn’t been announced as one of the racers, the tweet indicates that she will feature in the Athlos NYC event launched by Ohanian. The event will be held on September 26, 2024, at 6:00 PM ET at the Icahn Stadium in New York City. Top athletes Gabby Thomas, Faith Kipyegon, Torrie Lewis, and Lieke Klaver are among those confirmed to compete in the Athlos NYC.

---

Alaysha Johnson’s performance at the Paris Olympics 2024

Alaysha Johnson after winning the Women's 100m Hurdles Semi-Final Heat 2 at the Paris Olympics 2024 (Photo via Getty Images)

Alaysha Johnson clinched a spot in the 100m hurdles final after a dominant performance in semi-final 2, crossing the line in a blistering 12.34 seconds. Her time was the fastest among all three semifinals.

Johnson was closely followed by the reigning Olympic champion, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, who delivered a season-best performance of 12.35s to win the semifinal 3. This was the second-quickest time registered during the semifinals.

Johnson’s compatriots Grace Stark and Masai Russell clocked third and fourth-fastest times overall with 12.39s and 12.42s, to advance to the 100m hurdles finals.

With the finals set for August 10, Johnson will face stiff competition from not only Camacho-Quinn, Stark, and Russell, but also from Devynne Charlton, Ackera Nugent, and Cyréna Samba-Mayela.