Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic champ, just confirmed every single athlete from his bankrupt Grand Slam Track league has been paid. That’s a massive relief, especially after the operation folded and left some high-profile runners owed serious cash for months.
The Brutal Collapse of Grand Slam Track
The collapse of GST, which Johnson founded in 2024, was brutal. They promised athletes sweet prize money and salaries for its first season last year, but the final event in Los Angeles got axed. Then, in December 2025, the organizers pulled the plug, filing for bankruptcy in the US. We’re talking big names like British former world 1500m champion Josh Kerr and 2024 Olympic 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith, who were owed over £100,000 each. The Association of Athletics Managers even put out a statement in January, saying GST had racked up over $30m in debts. Oof.
Johnson Fights Back Against ‘Secret Payout’ Claim
But things got wild in March 2026. A legal filing from GST’s creditors dropped a bombshell, accusing Johnson of secretly paying himself $500,000 just days before everything imploded. Johnson fired back in an interview with The Telegraph on Saturday, calling the claim “unfounded and false” and “the exact opposite of what was reported.” He broke down what actually happened: “Our credit card was full at Grand Slam Track,” he said, citing “significant cash-flow issues.” To get 96 athletes and their companions to Miami and Philadelphia, and house 170 people in hotels, he put it all on his personal credit card for reimbursement. “So, what I received was reimbursement,” he clarified. Not only that, he loaned the company a massive $2m of his own money to “make sure we took care of the athletes” and even passed on his own salary. He told The Telegraph he’d even repay the $500,000.
This whole saga clearly hit Johnson hard. He admitted to sleepless nights, asking himself, “Are you stupid? Why did you do this?” He talked about how much the accusations weighed on him and his family, questioning his “motivation,” “integrity,” and “character.” It’s clear this wasn’t just a business failure, but a deeply personal blow for a legend like Johnson. He’s been off the BBC pundit desk since the Paris 2024 Olympics, totally focused on GST. Now that the athletes are paid and the truth about those payments is out, you gotta wonder what’s next for Johnson. Will he jump back into broadcasting? Or is he done trying to reshape the track world after this absolute nightmare? The guy clearly put his heart, and his own cash, into this.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by BBC Sport.
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