Olympic champion Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track league is in financial turmoil, with millions of dollars in prize money and appearance fees remaining unpaid to elite athletes who competed in the inaugural series earlier this year.
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The 57-year-old American sprint legend, who won four Olympic gold medals during his career, launched the premium track and field series with ambitious promises of a $12 million prize fund and $100,000 payouts for event winners at each of the four planned meets.
High-profile competitors, including American 200-meter Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, have publicly voiced their frustration over the delayed payments. Athletes were assured they would receive both substantial prize money for victories and additional appearance fees simply for participating as official competitors in the series.
The payment crisis has escalated to the point where World Athletics president Sebastian Coe has confirmed the governing body is actively monitoring the situation, highlighting the severity of the financial shortfall.
Johnson has acknowledged that Grand Slam Track struggled financially after the inaugural Kingston, Jamaica event in April failed to meet projected attendance and revenue targets. The competition did not generate the anticipated income from broadcasting deals and sponsorship agreements that were crucial to funding the ambitious prize structure.
“We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated, yet here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them,” Johnson admitted in a recent statement, describing the situation as “one of the most difficult challenges” he has faced.
This is a stark contrast to his confident proclamation during a BBC interview in April, when he declared: “Our athletes deserve to be paid more and we’re doing that.”
The financial crisis has now impacted Johnson’s broadcasting career, with the BBC confirming he will not be part of their punditry team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. While a spokesperson for Johnson cited “other commitments” and expressed hopes of “working with the BBC in the future,” no official explanation was provided for his absence from the coverage.
Johnson has been forced to cancel the series finale that was planned for Los Angeles and has suspended the entire Grand Slam Track concept. He announced that no 2026 series will proceed until all outstanding debts to athletes are fully settled, effectively putting the league’s future in serious doubt.
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