Despite the uncertain future of Grand Slam Track (GST), Jamaican-born Olympic and World Champion Donovan Bailey believes it can make a comeback but admits it will be difficult to get top athletes on board.

The competition, led by America’s Olympic star Michael Johnson, filed for bankruptcy in the USA earlier this month after reportedly racking up a debt of close to US$20 million ($3.2 billion).

Marketed as a lucrative track league, which had a record US$12.6 million ($2 billion) prize pool, GST hosted meets in Kingston, Miami, and Philadephia, but cancelled its final meet in Los Angeles due to financial difficulties.

The bankruptcy filing has since revealed that GST owes millions to more than 200 creditors, including athletes who participated in the inaugural season.

Despite securing emergency funding in October to pay athletes half of their owed appearance fees and prize money, American stars Syndey McLaughlin-Levrone, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Gabby Thomas, and Kenny Bednarek are all owed over a combined US$1 million ($160 million), according to the filing.

The Jamaica Observer understands a number of Jamaican athletes are also owed, including national 100m record holder and 2024 Olympic finalist Ackera Nugent.

Former 100m world record holder Bailey says former sprint rival Johnson will have a difficult time in attracting the world’s best.

“There’s a lot of poor track and field athletes, let’s just say that, so they’re always going to be able to sign up athletes, but are those athletes going to bring bums to the stands? Are those athletes going to bring extra sponsors?” he said on Leighton Levy’s Mr. Analyst YouTube channel.

“I want GST to survive, I think that it’s an incredible alternative, but from a business perspective, it’s tough for me to see how it’s going to. I’ve always been a supporter for athletes, and athletes being paid, and athletes being paid properly. So I’m very certain that it would be tough to have the stars of the sport signing on knowing that they are owed money or athletes that they know are owed money. The circle in successful sports at the highest level is extremely tiny, so all of these people, these women and these men, they all talk to each other, all the agents talk to each other.”

Bailey, who won gold for Canada at the 1996 Olympics and the 1995 World Championships, believes the event is far from dead due to the innovative nature of the league.

“Sometimes, financial structure is extremely important. Having backing, knowing exactly what you’re going to do, giving the audience six months to a year runway to ensure success is also very important,” he said. “There definitely were some things that were done incorrectly, there are definitely some hiccups that are there. Can it recover? Yes, absolutely. Who’s going to do it? I don’t know.”

Bailey says other track and field competitions may have the edge over GST if it returns for another season.

“You have the ultimate championship happening, and then you have Athlos. And then, of course, you know, you have the Diamond League, so you have direct competition right now,” he said. “But, like I said, man, I’m supportive of it, that it recovers, definitely it’s going to take some aggressive venture capitalists in the restructuring of this, ensuring that the athletes get paid and hoping for the best.”

In a statement earlier this month, GST said it hopes to host meets in the years to come but need to settle its debts and secure financial backing.

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone wins the women’s 400m hurdles race during the inaugural Grand Slam Track at the National Stadium on Friday, April 4, 2025. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)