Grand Slam Track has yet to pay its athletes. The alternate (and rapidly failing) track and field circuit owes approximately $12 million in unpaid prize money, which has World Athletics on high alert.
President Seb Coe vows to make things right if Michael Johnson and co. refuse to find a solution.
I am curious to know what the governing body of track and field can do if the outstanding money simply does not exist but I cannot wait to find out. I am also in support of the athletes like World Athletics claims.
What is Grand Slam Track?
The alternative series to Diamond League competition was founded by Johnson, a four-time Olympic gold medalist. He wanted to elevate the sport of track and field through a concentrated format focused on more head-to-head races between the world’s best athletes.
However, financial superiority was the biggest selling point. Athletes were supposedly going to compete for an increased prize pool of more than $12.5 million.
That money may or may not exist.
The athletes want their money.
Grand Slam Track held its first three meets in Kingston, Jamaica, Miami and Philadelphia without issue. Or so it seemed…
All three events were poorly attended. Fan interest wasn’t there. Neither is the money.
Johnson announced the premature conclusion of the inaugural season in the middle of June with hopes for a return in 2026. That seems doubtful. The financial backing just isn’t there.
Grand Slam Track is currently scrambling to find $12.6 million as the athletes demand outstanding wages for guaranteed appearance fees and prize money. Gabby Thomas is literally begging to get paid what she was promised as the series itself continues to ignore reality while posting on social media like nothing happened.
World Athletics is “watching the space.”
This issue first came to surface at the beginning of July. Grand Slam Track promised to pay its athletes for Kingston by the end of July and for everything else by the end of September. World Athletics, the governing body of track and field, is keeping a watchful eye on the ongoing situation.
“There is no point in pretending this is a satisfactory situation,” said president Seb Coe. “It’s not good. The one thing that World Athletics as always stood strongly behind is the athletes.”
Although I don’t necessarily agree with that third sentence, I am glad Coe and his team are not going to allow this to drag on. These athletes need to get paid as soon as possible.
“For these things to work, they can’t be vanity projects,” added Coe. “They have to be suffused in practicality and deliverability. I just want the events that are going to add luster, that we can find space for, and we will encourage them to at least have the courtesy of spending that kind of time and that kind of effort, both intellectual and resource, in making sure they work.”
Here’s the issue. When asked if World Athletics has the power to intervene on the athletes’ behalf, Coe said: “Well, let’s just watch the space.” So I don’t know if there is anything more it can do. Stay tuned.