'Really Painful Moments' - Sources Close to Michael Johnson Speak Out on Grand Slam Track Crisis

Once held in awe, Michael Johnson now finds his reputation in jeopardy due to his Grand Slam Track league, which has now filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in Delaware, leaving millions owed to athletes and creditors.

The filing followed the cancellation of one of the four events planned for GST's inaugural season. Court documents reveal estimated liabilities between $10 million and $50 million, with a creditor list numbering between 200 and 999. A court-supervised reorganisation will now commence.

"It's been incredible…he’s gone from the supposed saviour of the sport to being talked about like he’s the worst person," one agent, whose athletes have only received half of their promised prize money and fees, told the Telegraph.

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"One thing that shocked me was how some people turned unbelievably quickly. It seems that he had more enemies than I was aware of."

Trouble was evident from the very first meet in Jamaica, which suffered from low attendance and was immediately dubbed "Grand Flop Track" by Patrick Magyar, a key architect of the rival Diamond League.

The fallout has also impacted Michael Johnson's media career. The BBC, his broadcast home for nearly 25 years, did not feature him in its coverage of this year’s World Athletics Championships, and a return seems unlikely.

"The loss to punditry is immense…he was one of the great sports analysts," commented Jim Rosenthal, the former ITV athletics presenter. "It’s very sad, but you can’t really have him analysing athletes until this whole thing is sorted."

Despite the dire situation, GST's communications remain defiant. A press release still described the league as the "global home of professional track," while a message to stakeholders, seen by The Telegraph, framed the bankruptcy as a step "designed to position the league for long-term success."

Sources close to Johnson insist he is hurting but remains committed. They emphasise the choice of Chapter 11, a legal tool for reorganisation, over Chapter 7, which would mean liquidation.

"It’s very hard…there’s been some really painful moments in the last six months," a source revealed. "Michael really is trying to do it right, and he’s got that athlete gene where he’s not going to quit... he’s still absolutely 100 per cent in and committed to figuring it out."

The reorganisation process is expected to last about three months, during which the league will seek further investment to create a viable plan to pay athletes in full.

However, athletes are concerned about a bankruptcy code provision that could potentially force them to return payments received within 90 days of the filing.

Insolvency experts consider this unlikely, as major creditors like Winners Alliance and World Athletics also want to see the athletes paid first.

"They said, ‘We are going to give you the best experience and you can either come here and lose and win 10 grand, or you can go to a Diamond League and win 10 grand’," Josh Kerr explained. "I was like, ‘That sounds like a pretty solid deal to me.’"

While there is widespread scepticism about the league's return next year, some are not ready to write it off completely.

Supporters of Michael Johnson acknowledge his over-optimism regarding investor talks but deny any malicious intent.

"It’s been a big learning curve…the shame of it would be if people looked at this and thought, ‘You can’t do this for track, and these ideas don’t make sense’," said one insider.

Most agree that for GST to return, all outstanding debts to athletes must be settled, and funds for the 2025 season must be paid upfront or secured in an escrow account.

World Athletics, which is owed approximately $30,000, has stated it will not renew GST's license until athletes are paid in full.

Prominent agent Paul Doyle noted that even at 50% payment, some athletes still earned more than they had previously in their careers.

"So, although there is a bad taste in their mouth, they haven’t been as completely irate as you may expect," he said. Others, however, feel angry and doubtful. "I’m not sure you want to run in his events now," said another agent. "The view currently is that it won’t go ahead."

A vendor who worked at all three events and is now awaiting payment shared a similar view. "Jamaica was disappointing…there just weren’t enough people," they said. "Miami was better, and I actually left Philadelphia feeling very upbeat."

Another agent highlighted the challenges of launching a new league outside the established athletics calendar. "The concept of paying athletes more, and an entertainment-first series where fans knew who would race, makes sense," the agent explained.

"But, if you are not doing something that dovetails with the calendar, you are effectively doing what LIV golf are doing, as much as Michael might dispute that."

There is a glimmer of hope for the beleaguered league. "The absolute intention and hope is still that GST restructures in a way that allows it to exit, thrive, do the things that Michael set out to do, and that this becomes a painful bump in the road," a source close to the situation revealed.

Michael Johnson's history of success, both on the track and in his recovery from a 2018 stroke, proves he should not be underestimated.

The central challenge now, however, is rebuilding trust and delivering on his promises. What was once a painful bump now looks more like a mountain to climb.