Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track has faced harsh criticism after its underwhelming debut in Kingston, with the Diamond League founder calling it a ‘flop’ and questioning its vision.
The first edition of Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track was held from April 4 to 6 in Kingston, Jamaica and there was no doubt that people would have something to say.
However, Michael Johnson’s league has been in the face of criticism with the latest coming from Diamond League founder Patrick Magyar.
Patrick Magyar shared a lengthy post on his LinkedIn, explaining why Michael Johnson’s Track league was bound to face a major hit.
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He dubbed the competitions in Kingston as boring, revealing that there were no fans who turned up for the much-hyped track league. He added that the
“It took just one competition day for the much-hyped Grand Slam Track series to prove it’s not the future of track and field – it’s a flop. In fact, “Grand Flop Track” might be a more accurate name,” Magyar shared.
“Billed as the sport’s bold new direction by Michael Johnson, the series revealed its true face on day one in Kingston, Jamaica: an atmosphere closer to a mausoleum than a laboratory of innovation.
“What did we see? Boring, lifeless competitions, long stretches of nothing happening, and – perhaps most telling – a completely empty stadium. This in Kingston, the capital of one of the world’s greatest track and field nations.”
Patrick Maygar goes down memory lane on Michael Johnson’s personality
Grand Slam Track
Patrick Maygar, having been in managerial duties in the world of track and field for over 10 years also addressed Michael Johnson’s personality, when he was an active athlete.
He explained that at the 1996 Atlanta Olympic Games, when Michael Johnson ran the world record of 19.32 seconds in the 200m, he had his doubts and he was not the only one.
After that performance, Patrick Maygar explained that Michael Johnson started demanding outrageous amounts of appearance fees through his agent Bradley Hunt.
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He alleged that Michael Johnson would not accept anything less than what Carl Lewis was receiving at the time.
According to Patrick Maygar, Carl Lewis deserved the appearance fee he demanded since he had achieved more success than Michael Johnson.
“After Atlanta, the bargaining began. Johnson demanded astronomical appearance fees — sums previously reserved only for legends like Carl Lewis, who won his fourth long jump gold in 1996,” Patrick Maygar revealed.
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“In every negotiation with his agent, Bradley Hunt, it became clear: Johnson wouldn’t accept anything less than Lewis. We organizers initially thought this was just the agent’s doing.
“But no — he was following Johnson’s lead. Johnson didn’t care if other athletes got fair deals, or if meets were compelling for fans. As long as his fee was right, everything else was secondary.”
Michael Johnson as a commentator
Michael Johnson Grand Slam Track
After hanging his spikes, Michael Johnson landed a lucrative deal as a commentator and also worked with the Daily Telegraph and The Times newspapers.
Patrick Maygar insisted that Michael Johnson transferred his personality from the track to his workplace and always believed everything he did was right, something that gave rise to the Grand Slam Track series.
Michael Johnson excluding field events
Grand Slam Track
Following the launch of the Grand Slam Track, the main focus would be on track events and higher pay. The winners of each Slam are guaranteed $ 100,000.
However, the Diamond League founder believes that excluding field events was the first step to failing. He pointed out that fans are still interested in field events and leaving out some of their best would bring about a division.
He alleged that Michael Johnson disrespected half of the track and field family and that was the price he had to pay for that.
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“But do fans really want a version of athletics without jumpers and throwers? Are we willing to drop legends like Ryan Crouser, Mondo Duplantis, Neeraj Chopra, Hamish Kerr, Barshim, Tamberi, Tentóglou, Mahuchikh, Olyslagers, Patterson, Valarie Allman, Malaika Mihambo, Yulimar Rojas – just to fit someone’s narrow idea of what sells?” he asked.
“Then what you create is not a vision. You create a Grand Flop. Track and field doesn’t need a saviour. It needs respect. Balance. And above all: integrity.”
The Grand Slam Track is scheduled for three more legs in the US, with the next Slam to be held in Miami from May 2 to 4. Philadelphia and Los Angeles will then host the third and fourth Slams from May 30 to June 1 and June 27 to 29 respectively.
As the Grand Slam Track series gears up for its upcoming legs in the US, Michael Johnson faces mounting criticism not only for the lukewarm debut in Kingston but also for the vision underpinning his league.
With strong opinions from figures like Patrick Magyar highlighting concerns over exclusivity, lack of atmosphere, and disrespect toward field events, the future of Johnson’s bold new venture now hangs in the balance.
Whether the series can adapt, improve, and win over the global track and field community remains to be seen — but one thing is certain: the road ahead will be anything but smooth.
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