"But, we are the backbone of the sport between the major championships, including the Olympics. We have both track and field, that's one (reason). We are truly global. With one event in Jamaica and three in the United States I think it depends how you define global," he said in reference to the Grand Slam Track series.

"I see a substantial difference. Being truly global means that you have athletes from a lot of countries, and so far we've had it in the Diamond League — athletes from 142 countries competing. I don't see that happening, at least for now, anywhere else."

Regrettable clash

While the athletes in Kingston served up some high-quality performances, Johnson's opening event failed to capture the imagination of spectators, with swathes of empty seats at the National Stadium on all three days of competition.

There was also an absence of several high-profile athletes, including Olympic men's and women's 100m champions Noah Lyles and Julien Alfred, among the 48 racers contracted, with $30 million in funding.

Their absence suggests that both will soon be plying their trade on the Diamond League circuit, with a long season featuring meets that are often sold out and ending with the Sept 13-21 World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.

The second Grand Slam Track meet will be between May 2-4 in Miami, before rounding off in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.