“We have announced the conclusion of our transformational 2025 pilot season, and now turn our attention to building out the 2026 calendar to bring GST to fans around the world. The previously scheduled LA Slam has been postponed until 2026,”–Grand Slam Track on X. And just like that, the race that started in Kingston didn’t cross the ribbon in Los Angeles. Everything was going well, and the event had TV  and OTT coverage. The crowd had pulled up in Philly, but then suddenly, Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track was not going to Los Angeles.

Fans were disappointed. One X user said, “This shit is not coming back next year. They’re gonna announce it’s canceled forever later this year. You should have included field events.” Criticism followed, with another user saying, “Your ‘adjustments” are the problem. Nothing this league promises feels guaranteed, for fans or athletes. The Long Distance group got the short end of the stick midway, and now a full meet is canceled. Why would more top athletes trust this? Too much uncertainty.” Amidst all these backlashes, GST director Michael Johnson is here again with answers.

“Yeah, so these events are very expensive. So you think about this, I’ve been in the startup world for many years, and when you develop a product, you develop a version one with the idea you’re going to eventually get to a version two and then version three. You don’t keep pouring money into version one when you know that, okay, there’s going to be a version two,” said Michael Johnson in an interview with Sports Business Journal on June 20, 2025. Before Grand Slam Track, the American legend established Michael Johnson Performance (MJP) in 2007 – an elite training facility in McKinney, Texas, serving youth and pro athletes, and consulting for top sports clubs. The facility officially closed in March 2022, but it was one of his first entrepreneurial adventures. 

Citing his wish to be in LA and then telling that how expensive it is, MichaelJohnson said in the interview, “Finances are always a challenge for a startup, and you just have to be very, very judicious about where you put the resources and quite frankly, I wish we were. I wish we were in a position to just say, hey, yeah, let’s just go do LA too. It’d be great, and then no one’s going to say, hey, you know what’s going on. We’re just not in a position to do that, and no startup is.” Reuters reported that the economics of the deal with Drake Stadium in Los Angeles were the key factor for cancellation, which would save around $3 million in costs and prize money.

The next question he faced was about the future of the Grand Slam Track and what he was going to do in the second season of the event. Johnson answered, citing that the product was loved by the fans, athletes, and TV sponsors, “So I think it’s a matter of just some small tweaks in terms of the product itself. I think the bigger issue for us is just a matter of where we go with it. That’s the main thing, what markets will be appropriate for expansion, what markets will be appropriate for us to take the events to.”

He further emphasized, “I think there’s some things that we tested some things this year that were very interesting that we need to think about around the events themselves. There’s all sorts of opportunities.” The whole event was a test of a whole new set of things, like putting every athlete into two races and introducing a point system. Whilst talking of opportunities, he also noted the importance of being cautious in these situations and maintaining focus on the core purpose. He stresses that during the off-season, careful decisions must be made—and above all, it’s essential to “keep the main thing the main thing.“

Michael Johnson supported by fellow athletes

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was a standout in the Grand Slam Track (GST) series, showcasing her dominance across multiple events. She won both the 400m hurdles and the flat 400m in Miami, then impressed with a strong 100m debut in Philadelphia. While there is still a statement awaited from the Olympian, her coach has spoken out. Robert Kersee said, “Deeply disappointed about the cancellation of the L.A. Grand Slam track meet. Over four decades in this sport, I’ve watched too many promising initiatives fall short due to organizational challenges, particularly from lack of corporate sponsorship. Our athletes are world class. They train hard and deserve better. The Grand Slam brand is still very promising, but today, seasons and careers are impacted.”

He called out athletes, coaches, athletic brands, and corporate partners to step up and show leadership by committing to sustainable investment in track and field. In his post, he said he believes that world-class athletes deserve an equally world-class level of organization and long-term support. Kenny Bednarek was also another one of the standout performers in the inaugural Grand Slam Track (GST) season, winning all three meets and earning $400,000 in prize money.

“I have a big cushion now for the future,” Bednarek said as per the Washington Post.“The future is bright. It’s a new league, so there’s going to be some growing pains. This year was just kind of, see how things go. They did a good job with how they treated the athletes. This is just a little hiccup in the road, and next year they’re going to come back stronger.” What are your thoughts on this?