American hurdler Alaysha Johnson, 27, is on her way to the Paris Olympics after finishing second in the 100-meter hurdles at the U.S. Olympic Trials with a personal best time of 12.31 seconds.
She dedicated her feat to poor Black women everywhere, for which she was fiercely criticized by the conservative pundit Michael Knowles.
But Reddit co-founder and tennis legend Serena Williams’ husband, Alexis Ohanian, strongly supported Johnson, encouraging his followers to celebrate her incredible accomplishment.
Johnson spoke for poor Black women in her post-race interview.
She said, “It was all God. Everybody all the time said I wasn’t good enough (and) said that I didn’t deserve. So, I did this my way, my team’s way and the way it was meant to be.”
She added, “This is for the hood babies, the people who are poor and come from nothing, this is for everybody that looks like me that was ever doubted.
“This is what I stand for and I’m making a way for everybody in my position,” Johnson stated.
Sharply criticizing her, Knowles dismissed her efforts to pave the way for others who share her identity. He rapped her in a video. The video was shared by a track enthusiast on X, formerly Twitter. Echoing Knowles, the X post said about Johnson: “She Is Not paving the way for Black People in Running”.
Ohanian came to Johnson’s defence. Condemning the person who posted against her on X, he wrote: “Don’t give this clown any of the attention he craves.”
Alexis Ohanian announces funding for track and field while voicing support for female athletes.
As part of his ongoing support for female athletes, Alexis Ohanian has announced plans to invest in track and field through his venture capital firm, Seven Seven Six. He is motivated by his daughters, especially Olympia, who he hopes will succeed in soccer,
Ohanian hopes to begin his project by the end of September this year, after the Paris Olympics, and promote a more equitable athletic environment for women globally.
In addition to Alaysha Johnson, Alexis Ohanian has also been supporting Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone since she not only booked her ticket to Paris but also beat her own world record for the sixth time.