latest on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and other elite athletes being owed big money by Grand Slam Track (GST) following the league’s financial collapse:

What Is Grand Slam Track and Why It Matters

Grand Slam Track (GST) was launched in 2024 by former Olympic sprint legend Michael Johnson with the aim of revolutionizing professional track and field.

The league promised significant appearance fees, salaries, and prize money for top athletes amounts well above the traditional Diamond League levels through a four-event circuit intended to build sustained engagement in the sport outside the Olympics and World Championships. (Wikipedia)

GST’s model was ambitious: secure substantial investor funding, attract elite global athletes with lucrative contracts, create attractive media content, and establish a regular season for professional track racing.

But by the end of 2025, the venture collapsed under financial strain, leaving debts in the tens of millions and a growing list of unpaid parties  most visibly, the athletes themselves. (AP News)

Bankruptcy Filing and the Big Money Owed

In December 2025, Grand Slam Track filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in Delaware after failing to satisfy creditors with a settlement proposal.

The bankruptcy documents list total liabilities estimated between $10 million and $50 million, with actual assets reported as low as $1 million to $10 million and less than $50,000 in cash on hand. (ESPN.com)

As part of the bankruptcy process, GST filed a mandatory top 20 creditors list, which revealed that several of the world’s top track athletes are among those owed significant six-figure sums. (ESPN.com)

Here are the key figures from that list:

• Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone the four-time Olympic champion and current world record holder in the 400 m hurdles is owed about $365,250, making her one of the highest athlete creditors. (ESPN.com)

• Gabby Thomas, Olympic 200 m champion, is owed around $249,375. (Sports Business Journal)

• Kenny Bednarek, Marileidy Paulino, and Josh Kerr are also on the list with claims ranging from roughly $211,000 to $250,000. (Sports Business Journal)

• Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Alison dos Santos are each owed about $190,625. (Sports Business Journal)

These outstanding sums are for appearance fees, salaries, and prize money earned during the three GST meets that actually took place (in Kingston, Miami, and Philadelphia).

GST had paid only about 50 % of what was owed before these payments stopped and the bankruptcy process began. (Sports Business Journal)

Additionally, a TV production partner  Momentum-CHP Partnership  tops the creditor list, owed over $3 million, emphasizing the scale of financial strain beyond athlete contracts. (ESPN.com)

Why It Happened: Financial Troubles and Missed Funding

GST’s financial woes emerged publicly in mid-2025, when reports surfaced that the league had missed key payment deadlines for venue rentals and athlete fees.

Part of the problem stemmed from a major investor withdrawing an eight-figure commitment shortly after the first meet, leaving a funding shortfall that the league struggled to cover. (Wikipedia)

In an earlier statement in August, Johnson acknowledged that GST had missed payments and could not reliably compensate athletes without additional financial support.

Failure to secure this support ultimately contributed to the league’s bankruptcy filing. (ESPN.com)

When GST proposed offering vendors and partners 50 % of what was owed to stave off bankruptcy, creditors declined.

This precipitated the Chapter 11 filing, which transitions the organization into a court-supervised restructuring process instead of outright liquidation though the outcome for unpaid claims remains uncertain. (AP News)

Impact on Athletes and the Track Community

For elite athletes like McLaughlin-Levrone and her peers, being listed as unsecured creditors in a bankruptcy means they have no guarantee of being paid in full or at all. In Chapter 11, unsecured creditors often receive only partial repayment after priority claims (secured creditors, certain vendors, and administrative costs) are settled.

Whether athletes will recover the full amounts owed depends on the success of GST’s reorganization plan and any new financing it can secure. (Sports Business Journal)

This situation has sparked concern within the track and field community.

Some observers worry that GST’s collapse damages athlete trust in alternative professional formats and could deter elite competitors from joining future leagues with similar structures.

Others argue the sport’s economics simply aren’t ready for a high-paying professional circuit without deeper financial foundations and sponsor buy-in.

Fan reactions online reflect frustration and sympathy for athletes left in limbo, with many expressing skepticism about GST’s promises and long-term viability. (Reddit)

Michael Johnson’s Response and Future Prospects

Despite the financial collapse, Michael Johnson has publicly stated that he remains committed to the league’s mission and sees the bankruptcy as a strategic move toward reorganization rather than an end to the GST concept.

He has expressed hope that GST can emerge with a more stable financial structure and continue in future seasons. (AP News)

However, external stakeholders are cautious. World Athletics leadership, including president Sebastian Coe, has indicated that GST’s return is not guaranteed and that any future inclusion on the global athletics calendar will require robust, sustainable financial planning  a clear rebuke to GST’s rushed and undercapitalized launch. (thetimes.com)

The Grand Slam Track saga is a stark reminder of the challenges facing efforts to professionalize track and field beyond traditional formats.

While the league succeeded in attracting some of the sport’s biggest names with promises of unprecedented earnings, those promises now hang in question as bankruptcy proceedings unfold.

For Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Josh Kerr, and others, the uncertainty of recovering the money owed underscores a broader instability in monetizing elite athletics outside established organizations.

Whether GST can restructure effectively and return in a way that honors its debts and restores faith among athletes, partners, and fans  remains one of the biggest questions in the sport as 2026 approaches.