Michael Johnson set out to rewrite the future of track and field. Last year, the legendary sprinter launched Grand Slam Track, promising better pay and long-overdue respect for athletes in the sport. Backed by major investors, the venture pledged $100,000 to each event winner and featured 48 elite and 48 challenger athletes. Johnson scheduled four marquee events across Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. But the dream unraveled fast. Poor viewership and dismal ticket sales spooked investors, leaving Johnson and the athletes in limbo.
As athletes now demand their promised pay, Johnson has finally spoken out, offering his side of the story, and slowly regaining sympathy from fans who once believed in his vision. When Grand Slam Track collapsed, the community began questioning Johnson about the reasons. Drowned in pressure, he shrugged off any financial trouble, but everyone knew what was going on behind the hubbub.
When asked about what caused the fallout of the Grand Slam Track, Michael Johnson on Front Office Sports Today stated, “It was widely reported that we raised 30 million, or we had 30 million in commitments, which we did. But we didn’t receive all of that because, as I said, one of our investors was unable to honor their full commitment.”
He further added, “So we had, you know, we raised a significant amount of money. It cost a lot of money to do what we did this year.” In short, they had big plans, but one major investor pulling out threw everything off. Johnson did try his best to change the course of the sport, but despite his efforts, what dragged him down was monetary compensation. The legendary sprinter is now looking to pay his athletes—but when? That’s the question that remains unanswered.
Amidst the chaos, Johnson sat down with Justin Gatlin to reveal his side of the story, and for the very first time, the community appears to be in support of him.
Michael Johnson embraces fan support amid ongoing payment talks with athletes
To begin with, one fan pointed out that, unlike USATF, Grand Slam Track was at least transparent about its monetary sources and genuinely tried to improve the sport, “I appreciate the honesty and transparency. I will not bash him for trying to do what’s better for the athletes. GST was phenomenal. Hoping they are able to overcome these setbacks.”
In the one-and-a-half-hour interaction between them, Justin asked questions that were really hard to answer, but despite that, Johnson made sure to respond with grace. Supporting his cause, a fan added, “Shoutout to Mike for answering the tough questions (real leader) and Gat & Rod asking the tough accountable questions while still showing respect and the impact of GST. Hoping for a prosperous future.”
A fan, while thanking Michael Johnson for his contribution to the sport through GST, remarked that he had the vision for the athletes but was ultimately stopped by greed, “I love that GST had just about all areas covered to make sure the athletes have what they needed. You had a sport psych on site for the athletes. That was phenomenal.”
A fan believes that Michael Johnson might still pull off a miracle despite the setback.“I loved GST and look forward to the future. I’ve been watching Michael Johnson before he competed in the Olympics. I believe in Michael and his team’s vision, especially when you think of the challenges that USATF is experiencing today with their sponsorship problems as well. Whenever GST comes back, we’re ready for it.”
Last but not least, another fan backed Michael Johnson for his efforts, suggesting that he may have finally cracked the viewership problem,” I LOVE the format of GST!!!! I’m looking forward to GST 2026 & plan to attend at least 2 of the events!!!!
Now that USATF has kicked off its 2025 season, Grand Slam Track will need to fast-track both its legal issues and its plans for a comeback next year. Will Johnson survive this battle? Only time will tell.
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