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Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track venture has categorically refuted speculation that the retired track star pocketed $2 million from the series while competitors went unpaid, calling these rumors as “categorically false”.

On the contrary, the organization claimed that Johnson himself faced financial losses throughout the venture.

Athletes and Suppliers Await Compensation

Johnson is now facing the prospect of lawsuits from competitors, representatives, and suppliers who participated in the series events.

Sources suggest that unpaid amounts could total as much as $19 million, with multiple competitors allegedly forced to withdraw from home acquisitions due to missing prize money.

A number of competitors now privately believe they will not be paid the money they expected.

Johnson’s Representative Responds

An official spokesperson for Johnson emphasized that, despite rumors, the former champion did not profit from the series.

“Claims that he earned $2 million or gained financially in any way from GST are entirely incorrect,” the spokesperson stated. “Actually, Johnson has put in over $2 million of his own money into the project.”

The representative continued, “Our team is striving to secure additional funding, and Johnson has requested patience while we address this situation.”

Launch and Termination of the Series

GST was unveiled with great fanfare in Kingston last April, offering competitors as much as $100,000 for victory in their races, along with extra compensation for official “racers”.

Yet, the competition was cancelled before the fourth meeting in LA, after Johnson disclosed that a key investor had withdrawn support because of poor turnout at the Jamaican event.

While the next meetings in Florida and Pennsylvania were seen as successful, the financial situation had already become dire.

Future and Current Developments

The former athlete still believes that the competition can return in 2026 and aims to settle all outstanding debts by the close of September.

However, legal experts are reportedly reviewing the matter, and World Athletics president, head of the international governing body, has commented that they are closely monitoring the developments.

Last month, Johnson acknowledged that he had disappointed the athletes involved, stating: “It is very hard to live with the fact that you’ve built something bigger than yourself while knowing you’ve let down the very people you set out to help.”

He added, “We promised that competitors would be fairly and quickly paid. But, now we find ourselves struggling with our capacity to compensate them.”