World Athletics is monitoring the Grand Slam Track controversy closely as concerns grow over unpaid athlete prize money.
World Athletics president Seb Coe has confirmed the organisation is closely monitoring the situation regarding outstanding payments owed to athletes by Grand Slam Track.
Speaking prior to the London Diamond League, Seb Coe addressed the track series, which launched this year with significant fanfare but has recently faced negative publicity.
Grand Slam Track debuted in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this year before heading to Miami and later Philadelphia.
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Michael Johnson, the founder of Grand Slam Track, promised athletes a lucrative prize purse, with the winners walking away with $100,000.
The second, third and fourth-place finishers would walk away with $50,000, $30,000 and $25,000, respectively. According to the prize money structure, Grand Slam Track promised to award the top eight finishers.
Seb Coe: There is no point in pretending this is a satisfactory situation
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However, Grand Slam Track failed to honour the promises made to the athletes and last month, the final Grand Slam Track event, scheduled for Los Angeles, was cancelled due to reported financial difficulties.
Michael Johnson cited a dramatically shifted global economic landscape and described the cancellation as a ‘business decision’ to ensure the league’s long-term stability.
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However, reports indicate Grand Slam Track owes millions of dollars to athletes who competed in the Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia events.
Only appearance fees for the Kingston meet are believed to have been paid. As recently as July 5, Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas publicly requested payment on a Grand Slam Track social media post.
"There is no point in pretending this is a satisfactory situation. It's not good. World Athletics has always strongly supported its athletes," Seb Coe said as quoted by Athletics Weekly.
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Coe emphasised the need for such ventures to be grounded in practicality and deliverability, not mere ‘vanity projects.’ He stressed the importance of thorough planning and resource allocation to ensure success.
Despite previously supporting Michael Johnson's initiative and signing a Memorandum of Understanding with Grand Slam Track, Seb Coe admitted he has not spoken to Johnson for ‘several months.’
He has, however, communicated with athletes, their representatives, and meeting directors regarding the situation.
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When asked about World Athletics' ability to intervene on behalf of the athletes, Coe responded, "Let’s just watch this space.”
World Athletics noted that due to Athletics Integrity Unit testing procedures, prize money payouts can sometimes be delayed.
CEO Jon Ridgeon highlighted the organisation's support for Grand Slam Track, including awarding high world ranking points to its events.
While Grand Slam Track declined to comment directly, they reportedly plan to distribute Kingston prize money by the end of July and remaining payments, including Los Angeles appearance fees, by the end of September.