Johnson pays £22.5m to bankrupt track athletes

Michael Johnson says he has now paid all athletes owed money after the Grand Slam Track (GST) league went bankrupt last year.

The four-time Olympic champion told the Telegraph that he personally covered travel, accommodation and other costs after investors pulled out and left the league with a “catastrophic capital issue.” GST cancelled its final event in Los Angeles in December 2025 and filed for bankruptcy in the US, owing athletes and staff more than £22.5 million. Among those still owed were British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr and 400m sprinter Matthew Hudson-Smith, each with bills over £100,000.

Johnson rejected claims that he secretly paid himself £375,000 just before the collapse. He said the money was reimbursement for credit-card charges he made to fly 96 athletes plus companions, and house 170 people in Miami and Philadelphia. He also said he loaned the company £1.5 million from his own pocket to ensure athletes were looked after and that he decided to skip his own salary. GST’s creditors filed a legal claim in March 2026 accusing Johnson of the secret payment, a charge he called “unfounded and false.”

Johnson said the accusation kept him awake for nights and made him question his motives. He told the Telegraph he planned to repay the £375,000 and added that he had focused full-time on GST since stepping back from BBC commentary after the Paris 2024 Olympics. The episode shows how quickly a sports venture can unravel when funding dries up, leaving athletes and organisers exposed.