False start for sprint legend Michael Johnson: The American’s new millionth athletics series “Grand Slam Track” had to postpone her last planned meeting in Los Angeles this year. The background is obviously financial problems.
“The global economic landscape has changed dramatically last year, and this business decision was made to ensure our long -term stability,” said Johnson in a message. The fourth and last meeting in the debut season of “Grand Slam Track” should have taken place on June 28th and 29th in Los Angeles, the event is to be made up for in 2026.
Johnson had promised the participants of his league a total of $ 12.9 million (11.9 million euros). Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were declared the overall winners of the first year, both of them are entitled to a bonus of $ 100,000.
Now it is important to “look towards 2026 and beyond,” said Johnson: “The league is now turning to build up the event calendar for 2026.”
Sprintstar Noah Lyles had not joined Johnson’s project and already expressed doubts before the start in April whether the series could be permanently successful. “I would like to be instructed better,” said Paris’s 100 m Olympic champion: “I would not like anything more than that the league was successful.”