What is being billed as a "revolution" for the sport of athletics gets under way in Kingston on Friday with the opening event of U.S. sprinting legend Michael Johnson's ambitious Grand Slam Track series.

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Johnson believes the four-event circuit represents a landmark moment for track and field, and a bold new attempt to reinvigorate interest in the sport after years of decline.

Johnson, 57, says the format of his new circuit — which promises to create more head-to-head races between the world's best track athletes — represents a winning formula that will bring eyeballs back to athletics outside the pinnacle of Olympic competition.