US Edition
No Grand Slam Track in 2026 till athletes paid for 2025: Johnson
Michael Johnson prioritizes paying athletes $13 million owed before resuming the Grand Slam Track series, which failed to secure committed funding and canceled its final 2025 meet.
- Grand Slam Track CEO Michael Johnson said on August 15, 2025, that the series will not hold a 2026 season until athletes are fully paid, following cancellation of the final meet in Los Angeles.
- Johnson explained the company struggled to compensate athletes because promised funding was not received, and circumstances changed beyond their control.
- The circuit held three meetings in 2025 in Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia but cut one event from three to two days and faced poor attendance and financial issues.
- Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, expressed the pain of realizing that while he has created something larger than himself, he also feels responsible for disappointing the very athletes he aimed to support, and he confirmed that about $13 million remains unpaid to these athletes.
- Johnson remains confident about Grand Slam's future, has held talks with new investors, and said stabilizing the company to compensate athletes fairly is his top priority before resuming competition.
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23 Articles
23 Articles
It was supposed to change pro track. Now, short on cash, it owes athletes millions.
As summer began in 2024, former Olympic gold-medal sprinter Michael Johnson stood in a downtown Los Angeles restaurant that had been rented out for a big announcement. Johnson said he had secured $30 million in funding for a new track league, promising payments never before seen in track and field. In a sport where even top stars earn modest livings by the standards of professional athletes, Grand Slam Track represented a huge windfall. More tha…
The IndependentReposted by 
The Independent (US)
The Independent (US)Michael Johnson admits Grand Slam Track cannot pay its athletes
Johnson says he has to ‘own’ the failings of his new athletics championship
·London, United Kingdom
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NBC Dallas-Fort WorthReposted by 
NBC Boston
NBC BostonIt was supposed to change pro track. Now, short on cash, it owes athletes millions
Fronted by star Michael Johnson, Grand Slam Track promised payouts bigger than any other in track. But athletes are still waiting to receive what they are owed.
·Fort Worth, United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources23
Leaning Left9Leaning Right1Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution69% Left
Bias Distribution
- 69% of the sources lean Left
69% Left
L 69%
C 23%
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