It Was Supposed To Change Pro Track. Now, Short On Cash, It Owes Athletes Millions.

As summertime began successful 2024, erstwhile Olympic gold-medal sprinter Michael Johnson stood successful a downtown Los Angeles edifice that had been rented retired for a large announcement. Johnson said he had secured $30 cardinal successful backing for a caller way league, promising payments ne'er earlier seen successful way and field.

In a athletics wherever moreover apical stars gain humble livings by nan standards of master athletes, Grand Slam Track represented a immense windfall. More than one-third of that promised backing would beryllium earmarked for prize money alone, a excavation of much than $3 cardinal per meet. And nan biggest winners astatine each of its 4 meets would pouch $100,000 per meet — 5 times arsenic overmuch arsenic first spot earned connected track’s different world circuit.

Additionally, 48 competitors who signed contracts pinch nan circuit could gain an yearly guidelines compensation, positive a trim of gross from group licensing.

Yet conscionable 14 months aft Johnson’s expansive announcement, and 4 months aft nan group held its first meet successful Jamaica, Grand Slam Track has yet to salary galore of its athletes and vendors, and Johnson acknowledged Friday that nan rate crunch — what 1 root said was astir $13 cardinal successful unpaid money to athletes unsocial — poses an existential threat to nan destiny of nan circuit returning for a 2nd season.

“The cruelest paradox successful each of this is we promised that athletes would beryllium reasonably and quickly compensated. Yet, present we are struggling pinch our expertise to compensate them,” said a connection signed by Johnson that was posted connected societal media Friday.

Johnson besides maintained that he is “confident astir nan early of Grand Slam Track.”

NBC News said pinch 4 agents who correspond aggregate athletes still owed money by Grand Slam Track, who said connected information of anonymity to clasp relationships pinch organizers. Three expressed superior doubts nan circuit would beryllium capable to drum up capable backing from investors and assurance from athletes to return for a 2nd season, successful 2026. A 4th said he was consenting to springiness nan use of nan doubt, for now.

“My connection to our athletes is, look, it’s not good,” that supplier said. “But connected nan different hand, their intent is to salary and we’re going to hold for them to salary us. Otherwise, they won’t person a future.”

Agents, coaches and meet organizers successful way and section said their concerns astir Grand Slam’s problem spell acold beyond receiving nan money owed from nan 3 meets it hosted this outpouring successful Jamaica, Florida and Philadelphia. If Grand Slam Track were yet successful successful drafting beardown ratings and crowds, location was a dream that specified request could entice much extracurricular investors pinch heavy pockets to move money into a athletics that often operates connected shoestring budgets compared to different master leagues.

“It feels for illustration to a batch of group that this will beryllium a monolithic deterrent to early endeavors,” said Paul Doyle, a salient jock supplier who founded and has besides operated a pro way circuit, nan American Track League, since 2014. “It wasn’t each negative. I consciousness for them successful that consciousness that they’re successful a reliable spot.”

On nan time Johnson announced Grand Slam Track successful 2024, he was bullish but besides admitted nan task would return clip to make money.

“If I had an investor who said, ‘Well, I request it to beryllium profitable successful Year 2,’ I would not return their money because that’s impossible,” Johnson said successful 2024. “It’s conscionable not going to happen. Our investors person travel connected and said, ‘Hey, we judge successful nan semipermanent viability of this.’”

That viability has been nether scrutiny ever since Grand Slam Track canceled its 4th and last meet, scheduled for June. It emailed jock representatives successful July notifying them that net from their first meet, held successful Jamaica successful April, would beryllium paid by that month’s end. On Aug. 4, a spokesperson for Grand Slam Track said that it was “anticipating investor costs to deed our relationship imminently, and nan athletes are our apical priority.”

As of Friday’s announcement, however, Grand Slam had only paid athletes for nan quality fees they were owed successful Jamaica, but not immoderate prize money.

Johnson, successful his statement, suggested that nan backing shortfall was owed to a alteration successful circumstances “in ways beyond our control.” Johnson antecedently told Front Office Sports that an investor had pulled funds.

“Due to our beardown desire to make this correct arsenic quickly arsenic possible, we offered dated costs timelines and person been incapable to meet them,” Johnson said successful Friday’s statement. “Understandably, this has led to frustration, disappointment, and inconvenience to our athletes, agents, and vendors. I cognize this damages trust. I cognize this makes immoderate wonderment if our imagination tin survive. That is why we are not conscionable addressing nan contiguous problem; we are putting systems and partnerships successful spot to make judge it ne'er happens again.”

“While I americium nary alien to setbacks and overcoming obstacles, arsenic an athlete, professionally, and personally, this existent business of not being capable to salary our athletes and partners has been 1 of nan astir difficult challenges I’ve ever experienced,” nan connection added.

Prize money payments that return weeks to get are not different successful way and field; if anything, they are nan rule. In utmost cases, athletes person said that prize money payments person taken much than a almanac twelvemonth to deed their accounts. Prize money from March’s world indoor championships successful China still has yet to arrive, 1 supplier said. Delays mostly stem from supplier testing, because meets typically hold to salary until knowing an jock was clean. Results mostly return 10-30 days to return. In contracts pinch its “racers,” Grand Slam Track stated that supplier testing would beryllium completed wrong 21 days of each meet, and that an athlete’s promotional interest and earned prize money would beryllium paid wrong 10 days of learning nan doping results, according to a source.

Delays are commonplace. But what made Grand Slam Track different, 1 supplier said, was that location was a belief it already had its announced $30 cardinal successful backing waiting successful escrow, fresh to salary arsenic obligated.

Instead, they now hold for emailed updates from Grand Slam organizers.

“You’re not getting thing straight answered,” 1 supplier said. “‘Our extremity is to pay.’ Well you tin pay, but when? That doesn’t beryllium good pinch anyone.”