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Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track organization has strongly denied speculation that the retired track star received $2 million during the competition while competitors went unpaid, labeling these rumors as “categorically false”.

Instead, the group asserted that Johnson himself incurred personal monetary setbacks throughout the project.

Athletes and Suppliers Await Payment

The four-time Olympic gold medalist is now facing the possibility of lawsuits from competitors, representatives, and vendors who supported the three GST meetings.

Sources suggest that unpaid amounts may reach as much as $19 million, with some competitors allegedly forced to withdraw from home acquisitions due to delayed earnings.

A number of participants now fear they will not be paid the money they expected.

The Sprinter’s Spokesperson Clarifies

A representative for Johnson emphasized that, contrary to rumors, the former champion did receive no income from the event.

“The rumors that Michael Johnson earned $2 million or gained financially in any manner from Grand Slam Track are entirely incorrect,” they stated. “In fact, Johnson has put in more than $2 million of his personal funds into the project.”

The representative continued, “We are striving to obtain more financial support, and Michael has asked for patience while we address this matter.”

Inception and Cancellation of the Series

The series was launched amid high expectations in Jamaica last spring, offering athletes as much as $100,000 for winning their events, along with additional payments for official “racers”.

Yet, the competition was called off before the fourth meeting in Los Angeles, after Johnson disclosed that a key investor had withdrawn support due to poor turnout at the Kingston event.

While the subsequent meetings in Miami and Philadelphia were considered successful, the financial situation had by then become critical.

Future and Current Situation

Johnson remains hopeful that the series can relaunch in the coming years and aims to settle all outstanding debts by the end of this month.

However, legal experts are reportedly examining the matter, and World Athletics president, leader of the sport’s global organization, has stated that they are closely monitoring the ongoing issue.

Last month, Johnson acknowledged that he had let down the competitors involved, stating: “This is very hard to live with the reality that you’ve created something bigger than yourself while knowing you’ve let down the very people you set out to support.”

He continued, “We committed that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated. But, here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them.”