The BBC has confirmed that American sprint legend Michael Johnson will not be part of its punditry team for the upcoming World Athletics Championships in Tokyo. The decision comes as his newly-founded league, Grand Slam Track, faces a financial crisis with millions of dollars in prize money and appearance fees still owed to athletes.
Johnson, a four-time Olympic champion, admitted last week that Grand Slam Track has struggled to meet payment commitments after the inaugural event in Kingston, Jamaica in April failed to draw anticipated crowds or generate expected revenue from broadcasting and sponsorships. The 57-year-old said in a statement: 'We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated, yet here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them.'
World Athletics president Lord Coe confirmed that the governing body is monitoring the situation. Several athletes, including American 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, have spoken out publicly about the outstanding payments. Athletes were originally promised $100,000 for winning events at each of four planned meets, plus additional appearance fees, with a total prize fund exceeding $12 million.
The BBC officially confirmed to The Times that Johnson will not appear in their Tokyo studio, though no official explanation was given. A spokesperson for Johnson offered a brief statement: 'He has other commitments, unfortunately, but is looking forward to working with the BBC in the future.'
Johnson held an emergency meeting to announce the cancellation of the final Grand Slam Track event in Los Angeles. He called the situation 'one of the most difficult challenges' he has faced and confirmed there will be no 2026 series until all debts are settled.
