Millions Unpaid, Athletes Furious: Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track on the Brink
Four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson will not be part of the BBC’s punditry team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as his newly launched competition series, Grand Slam Track, faces a growing financial crisis.
The league, which Johnson founded to provide athletes with more earning opportunities, has come under intense scrutiny after failing to pay out millions in promised prize money and appearance fees. The situation escalated after its inaugural event in Kingston, Jamaica, held in April, failed to meet revenue expectations due to disappointing crowd turnout and underperforming broadcast and sponsorship deals.
Johnson, 57, admitted last week that the league is struggling to meet its financial obligations. “We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated, yet here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them,” he said in a statement.
Among those affected is American Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas, who, along with several others, has voiced frustration over the delays. The growing controversy has caught the attention of World Athletics president Lord Coe, who confirmed that the global governing body is now monitoring the situation closely.
In response to the turmoil, Johnson recently held an emergency meeting where he announced the cancellation of the league’s final event, originally set for Los Angeles. He also confirmed that the Grand Slam Track series will not return in 2026 unless all outstanding debts are resolved. Calling the situation “one of the most difficult challenges” of his career, Johnson emphasized the need to rebuild trust with athletes.
The BBC confirmed Johnson’s absence from its Tokyo coverage but gave no official reason. A spokesperson simply stated he has “other commitments” and remains open to future collaboration with the broadcaster.
