Alexis Ohanina at the US Open Tennis Tournament 2019 - Source: Getty

"That's just the beginning" - Serena Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian sends a strong message after the success of the inaugural edition of Athlos NYC

Modified Nov 02, 2024 01:10 GMT

After the success of the inaugural edition of Athlos NYC, Alexis Ohanian sent out a strong message. The co-founder of Reddit decided to invest in women's athletics to pioneer change and support the rise of women's sports. Ohanian expressed his desire to have an even bigger track meet in the upcoming year.

Alexis Ohanian launched his own track meet called 'Athlos NYC' after the Paris Olympics, which featured some of the best female athletes in the world competing in six events. Apart from incredible races on the track, the meet also featured performances from Megan Thee Stallion and DJ D-Nice, which acted as a great source of entertainment for the audience watching it online as well as the spectators.

In an attempt to make the track meet more accessible, the event was live-streamed for free on YouTube and other social media platforms. Olympic Champion Masai Russell, who competed in Athlos in the 100m hurdles, spoke about how the event gave them a platform to compete and highlighted the sport to a worldwide audience outside of the Olympics.

Alexis Ohanian reacted to her interview and expressed his desire to expand the event in the upcoming year.

"Don't worry @masai_russell that's just the beginning -- y'all proved that ATHLOS needs to be even BIGGER in 2025. 😤," he wrote.

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Alexis Ohanian on his inspiration for Athlos NYC

Ohanian during a Featured Session: Empowering the Next Generation to Build a Better Future - 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals - Source: Getty

In an interview before the event, Alexis Ohanian spoke about his inspiration to launch Athlos NYC. The co-founder of Reddit revealed that he had never been to a track meet before, and watching the U.S. Olympic Track and Field Trials had a major impact on his decision.

“I had never been to a track meet before and then I went to my first one in Eugene. I saw the (Olympic) Qualifiers and so that was incredible right. I was like ‘okay this is so exhilarating’, and then I'm watching Tara (Davis-Woodhall) who is so dynamic, she's such a star and she has her section of the stadium all gassed up for one of her jumps but at the same time there's like a race going on. And as a casual sort of first-timer, I'm torn between two storylines that I know I should be paying attention to," he said.

With multiple events taking place at the same time as the Olympic Trials, Ohanian felt the need to have a track meet where athletes are highlighted and their stories are propelled to the audience, which can stand as an inspiration as well as have an impact on upcoming athletes.