“We’re not just building a league—we’re building a movement,” Michael Johnson said in June about how his ambitious project, Grand Slam Track (GST), would change the sport’s ecosystem. Considering the fact that the statement came on the heels of a new deal between the track event and Sundial Media & Technology Group, it did make the fans dream of a bright future. However, things haven’t been moving as per the plans, and a new announcement from a rival camp has the fans fuming.
Alexis Ohanian loves to shake things up as he goes. Among the many objectives of the venture capitalist has been to elevate women’s sports to a whole new level. Over the years, he has been able to achieve the goal through investments in women’s soccer and other areas. Last year, ATHLOS, a women-only track and field event, reaffirmed Ohanian’s determination to bring a new era for women’s sports. And now, Alexis & Co. are looking to take things a step further, and Johnson is on the receiving end of the fans’ sneers.
NBC Sports’ Emmy-winning reporter Travis Miller took to X on October 2 to share Athlos’ latest groundbreaking announcement. “ATHLOS announces partnership with Cash App including a $250K world record bonus and immediate prize payments for eligible athletes,” the social media post reveals, before sharing the official statement by Athlos on the matter.
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“Introducing a new model for how performance turns into pay,” Athlos describes its CashApp partnership with vigor, “This year, CashApp is enabling immediate prize payment for all eligible athletes the moment results are confirmed.” Goes without saying that this could turn into something that shows others how things are done, especially considering that Johnson has openly admitted that GST is “struggling” to pay the participating athletes.
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For those who don’t have a verified CashApp account, Athlos will make the payment via wire. “Faster payouts mean real-time recognition and an athlete-first experience, raising the bar for the sport,” Athlos flexed its newest move. And why wouldn’t it? After all, such a fast-paced payout has been previously unheard of in almost any sport. Obviously, this is a major shade on Johnson and his GST project, which many had high hopes for, given how Michael himself has experienced firsthand the struggles the athletes have to endure.
GST still owes $13 million to the athletes who participated in the inaugural season of the track event. A startling number, no doubt. Red flags were raised earlier this year when Johnson announced that Grand Slam Track would skip the last meet of the season due to a lack of funds, but fans probably didn’t imagine that the athletes would have to go on without getting paid for so long. And now, as Team Ohanian assures fans that moves behind closed doors are relentless, fans couldn’t help but give Michael and GST a piece of their mind.
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Fans come looking for answers to Michael Johnson
Let’s be honest here: Many had their doubts about Johnson’s project succeeding after the 4x Olympic gold medalist claimed that even lower-end contracts would allow the athletes to make as much as $100,000 by participating in Grand Slam Track. In November last year, one social media post took the painstriking task of crunching numbers to definitively show that Michael was looking at a loss of as much as $10 million after just the first season of GST, and gave the event three years before tanking.
Athlos’ move has once again opened the floodgates to the debate. While Ohanian’s bold move is undoubtedly praiseworthy, fans couldn’t overlook how Johnson is falling short by miles in comparison. “GST still Pending payments!” one fan was left heartbroken by how Michael Johnson, a world-renowned track star himself, couldn’t meet the athletes’ needs despite his boastful claims. “They really dunking on GST with this move,” jeered another fan.
“Due to our strong desire to make this right as quickly as possible, we offered dated payment timelines and have been unable to meet them. Understandably, this has led to frustration, disappointment, and inconvenience to our athletes, agents, and vendors. I know this damages trust. I know this makes some wonder if our vision can survive,” Johnson said in a statement in August after calls for clearing the athletes’ payment kept mounting. But while the team scurries for a solution, Athlos is already setting the benchmark! Of course, the fans aren’t happy.
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“Immediate prize payment. Oh ‘Grand Slam’ going out sad,” one more fan sounded GST and Johnson’s death knell. Freddie Crittenden, one of the participants at the first season of GST, was also livid over how the ex-Olympian handled business and wasn’t afraid to slam Johnson for his infractions against the athletes. The fans agree.
“Did the grand slam athletes get paid yet?” one fan couldn’t help but take another dig at Johnson’s expense. Another fan was just happy about Ohanian’s latest stunt, “That is a striking partnership (in many ways) from ATHLOS!” How about you? What do you think of Athlos striking the deal with CashApp? Tell us your take on the matter below!