American athletics legend and Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson has launched a new league. It will be known as Grand Slam Track (GST). The professional track league, officially unveiled on June 18, will bring together 96 of the sport’s fastest stars in four annual Slams across four global cities during the spring and summer seasons. The competition is meant to grab a consistent audience for a sport that has great potential but still tends to attract crowds, especially at the Olympics every four years, with a series of individual meets in between. The Grand Slam title is supposed to give a similar feel to tennis or golf, where four majors stand out in the annual schedule.
The Grand Slam Track league plans to sign 48 athletes as the core GST Racers, selected by the Grand Slam Track Racing Committee based on a combination of factors. American Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion, has been announced as the first athlete to join the league.
In addition to an annual base compensation, GST Racers, who are also expected to promote the league, will receive additional benefits such as group licensing, new revenue opportunities, and branding and marketing support. The remaining 48 racers, known as GST Challengers, will receive a set appearance fee to compete at individual Slams. Athletes in each event category will compete in two events per Slam. The Slam champion is the winner of combined results in each event category.
The first Slam will take place in April 2025, followed by three more Slams during the summer months next year. Los Angeles will be the new league’s global home and host one of the GST events. One more Slam will take place in the US, and another two in international locations. The host cities will be announced later this summer. The format will have a total prize fund of $12.6 million over its first season, split over the four events.
Johnson won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships gold medals throughout his career and is considered one of the greatest sprinters in track and field history.
