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Michael Johnson has defended Grand Slam Track's early season conclusion and clarified his stance on star absences such as Noah Lyles and Sha'Carri Richardson.
The inaugural season of Grand Slam Track (GST), brainchild of Olympic legend Michael Johnson, concluded earlier than expected, with its grand Los Angeles finale scrapped.
Whispers of financial challenges swirled, but Johnson remained firm on the league’s long-term vision.
Still, the abrupt ending stirred debate across the track and field community, particularly concerning the absence of two of the sport’s most visible stars in Noah Lyles and Sha’Carri Richardson.
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Johnson Stresses Collective Strength
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Speaking on the Sports Business Journal platform, Johnson addressed the elephant in the room.
Rather than dodging the conversation around Lyles and Richardson, he tackled it directly, stating, “The expectation that I need every single top athlete, and that missing one equals failure, is ridiculous."
Johnson emphasized that GST secured high-level distribution deals with major broadcasters like CW, Peacock, and Warner Bros despite the absence of Lyles and Richardson.
He credited this to the strength of the overall roster, which featured more than half of its athletes as Paris Olympic medalists.
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While denying that GST’s future depended solely on household names, he still acknowledged their value.
“It’s not that we don’t want them, of course we do, but GST was designed to be bigger than any one athlete. That’s how you build sustainability.”
Interestingly, Lyles had shown support for the league earlier in the year, saying, “I would love nothing more than for this to be successful."
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The Road to 2026
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GST’s sudden pivot to the future was paired with a major announcement of a partnership with Sundial Media and Technology Group, owners of culturally influential platforms like ESSENCE and Refinery29.
“We are not just building a league, we are building a movement,” Johnson said in his first statement since the season's close.
The alliance gives GST unprecedented access to media influence and cultural storytelling power, setting the stage for a more robust and compelling 2026 season
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