World Athletics President Sebastian Coe has said the sport’s governing body is monitoring outstanding athlete payments from Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track series, with the governing body’s president stating: “There is no point in pretending this is a satisfactory situation.”
Johnson cancelled the final Los Angeles leg of his new four-meeting series last month following low spectator numbers at the opening three editions in Miami, Philadelphia, and Kingston in Jamaica.
A prize fund of $12.6m (£9.3m) was announced at the series launch, but some athletes are understood to have not been paid.
It is not unusual for a time lag between competition and remuneration but, given the abrupt end to the aborted first season, runners are concerned over individual payments that stretch well into six figures.
“It’s not good,” Lord Coe said. “The one thing that World Athletics has always stood strongly behind is the athletes. So yeah, this is not a good situation. It’s a startup, but the athletes do need paying.
“For these things to work, they can’t be vanity projects. They have to be suffused in practicality and deliverability. I just want the events that are going to add lustre, that we can find space for, and we will encourage them to at least have the courtesy of spending that kind of time and that kind of effort, both intellectual and resource, in making sure they work.”
Grand Slam Track champions at each meeting receive $100,000 in addition to substantial appearance fees.
Grand Slam Track declined to comment, but it is understood that agents have been informed their athletes will be paid for the Kingston event this month, with later meeting payments following before the end of September.
British newspaper, The Guardian, understands that some athletes have received appearance money from the opening meeting.
Asked if World Athletics has the power to intervene on athletes’ behalf, Coe replied: “Well, let’s just watch this space.”
Johnson’s brainchild has been touted as a direct competitor to World Athletics’ Diamond League circuit, which had stood unchallenged as the primary season-long athletics competition since it succeeded the Golden League in 2010.
Speaking to the Guardian in April, Johnson denied fears that the $30m of investment in Grand Slam Track could run out before he is able to change the sport.
“We’re in this for the long haul,” he said. “Startups aren’t profitable in year one. You know, if anybody comes to you with a startup, saying: ‘Hey, we’re going to be profitable in year one,’ run away as fast as you can. But we will continue to grow.”
Coe insisted he remains fully supportive of privately funded athletics events.
“It was in everybody’s interest for something like this to be successful. We’re not the ‘computer says no’ command-and-control federation.
“From the very moment I became president of World Athletics, I talked about the need to be more creative and partner – don’t shy away from forming those relationships. So, we were very clear that this had to be done properly and executed properly. Hopefully, [create] an additional attraction in the sport.”