Gabby Thomas’ Rival Brings Michael Johnson’s Track Event To Shame With Upsetting Admission

Daryll Neita was hailed as a trailblazer when she became the first British woman to sign with Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track ahead of its much-publicized launch in 2025. A three-time Olympic medalist in the 4x100m relay, she joined Michael Johnson’s ambitious league with expectations of strong competition, major exposure, and substantial prize money. Less than a year later, however, her own remarks have cast a sharp light on the league’s financial collapse.

The 28-year-old sprinter arrived at GST fresh from one of the most consistent seasons of her career. She had captured the British 100m title, placed second in the 200m, and reached both Olympic finals in Paris, finishing fourth in the 100m and fifth in the 200m with a season’s best of 10.92 in the semifinals. She also anchored Team GB to a silver medal behind the United States in the 4x100m relay. The squad’s 41.55 at the London Diamond League tied the national record and stood as the fastest relay performance of the year. With that background, her decision to align with Johnson’s project appeared entirely fitting.

On her recent YouTube vlog, Neita ranted short and crisp. “Babe, there was no money. There was no money.” It was a striking reversal of her excitement less than a year ago. Remember that vlog before the opening event in Kingston?

“It’s currently Friday, and I head to Jamaica on Wednesday. I’m so excited for the season opener. Oh my god, let’s go and get this money at the Grand Slam.” So, her recent candid yet sarcastic remark has come to symbolize GST’s failure to meet the basic obligations it had set for its athletes.

Her debut in Jamaica underscored the disappointment. While Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone dominated the women’s 400m, British athletes struggled to make an impact. Josh Kerr fell well short in his race, while Neita faded in the women’s short sprints. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden triumphed after a tense battle with Jenna Prandini, leaving Neita in fourth place and far from the form that had carried her to Olympic finals only months earlier. Though Matt Hudson-Smith salvaged some British pride with a long-sprint victory on day two, the overall assessment was harsh. The curtain-raiser had exposed gaps both on the track and behind the scenes.

By mid-season, the league’s problems were no longer whispers. Organizers had publicly claimed to secure $30 million in funding, yet only $13 million ever materialized. A lead investor, Winners Alliance, had merely extended an option for additional support, not a guarantee. When another major backer pulled its eight-figure commitment shortly after the Jamaica event, GST’s finances crumbled.

Cost-cutting followed, including shortening the Philadelphia meeting from three days to two, before the Los Angeles finale was canceled altogether. Johnson himself admitted the league had spent too quickly, citing first-class airfare and single-occupancy hotels as examples of unsustainable expenses.

For Neita, the irony could not have been sharper.

As the first British athlete to lend her name and reputation to the venture, she had set out expecting both competition and compensation. Instead, her plainspoken reflection now stands as the most telling verdict on the enterprise. The vision of a global, athlete-centered league may yet be revived, but the sound bite remains, “…There was no money.” 

Daryll Neita’s excitement turned to mockery as Johnson’s Grand Slam Track failed to pay its stars

Daryll Neita once described her entry into Michael Johnson’s track event as a breakthrough for her career, a fresh stage to compete in a novel environment. “I’m really excited to be the first British woman announced as joining Grand Slam Track, and can’t wait to start racing in this fresh new league,” she shared back in November 2024. Her words reflected a clear belief that the series would expand opportunities for athletes and audiences alike.

The promise of racing twice in a weekend had appealed to her, and she had considered the concept an “amazing opportunity to compete at the highest level in a whole new format.”

That conviction, however, stood in stark contrast to her later tone. As Michael Johnson’s league faltered under the strain of unpaid prize money and canceled events, Neita did not remain silent. What she had once embraced with energy and optimism became the subject of mockery, an acknowledgment of the chaos left behind. The very competition she had called “fun and exciting for all of us as Racers” now symbolized, for her and many of her peers, a broken commitment and a source of frustration.

The change in her language illustrated the wider collapse of trust between athletes and organizers. When the financial troubles of Grand Slam Track became undeniable, Neita’s shift from proud ambassador to outspoken critic captured the extent of the disappointment. Her remarks in the early months had placed her at the forefront of the project’s image, but her later ridicule exposed how swiftly faith had been lost.