Why Michael Johnson Has Been Axed from BBC Coverage Team as Athletes Await Unpaid Millions

American track legend Michael Johnson will not be part of the BBC's punditry team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, as the new league he founded, Grand Slam Track, still owes millions of dollars to some of the sport's biggest stars.

Michael Johnson, a four-time Olympic champion, acknowledged last week that Grand Slam Track has been ‘unable to meet’ payment deadlines for its athletes.

He cited a significant loss of funding after the inaugural event in Kingston, Jamaica, in April failed to attract spectators and generate substantial broadcast and sponsorship revenue.

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"We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated," the 57-year-old said in a statement. "Yet here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them."

The situation has drawn the attention of World Athletics president Lord Coe, who stated that the governing body is monitoring the issue.

Athletes, including American 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, have also publicly voiced their concerns over the unpaid funds.

The BBC has now confirmed to The Times that Michael Johnson, who has become one of the most respected pundits in athletics since joining the corporation in 2001, will not be in their Tokyo studio.

No official reason for his absence was provided on Friday. A spokesperson for Johnson offered a vague explanation, stating, "He has other commitments, unfortunately, but is looking forward to working with the BBC in the future."

Michael Johnson's future with the broadcaster may hinge on his ability to secure new financial backing to salvage the Grand Slam Track series and settle its outstanding debts.

Athletes were promised $100,000 for winning their events at each of the four scheduled meets, in addition to appearance fees for being official ‘racers.’

Michael Johnson had promoted the series with the promise of an unprecedented total prize fund exceeding $12 million. In a BBC interview in April, he boldly declared, "Our athletes deserve to be paid more, and we’re doing that."

However, Michael Johnson called an emergency meeting where he informed athletes and agents of the cancellation of the final Grand Slam Track event in Los Angeles.

Following this, athletes began to complain about still being owed payments from the first event months earlier. Some are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars, including Great Britain's Josh Kerr, who won his event in Kingston.

Last week, Michael Johnson described the situation as ‘one of the most difficult challenges’ he has ever faced. He added that there will be no plans for a 2026 Grand Slam Track series until all current debts are paid.