Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone owed $350,000 in Grand Slam Track bankruptcy filing
McLaughlin-Levrone was the first athlete to sign with the new track startup back in June 2024
Kevin Morris
A new filing in U.S. bankruptcy court on Monday showed the amounts Grand Slam Track (GST) owes its top creditors following the collapse of the track startup. Among the top 20 creditors, alongside several marketing agencies and production companies, is two-time Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who is owed US$350,000 in a mix of unpaid prize money, signing bonus and appearance fees.
McLaughlin-Levrone was the first athlete to sign with Grand Slam Track, the upstart league founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson, in June 2024.
She won the long hurdles category at the Kingston and Miami slams and finished second in the short hurdles category in Philadelphia, earning a total of $250,000 in prize money. With GST reporting that only half of the prize money was paid out, filings suggest McLaughlin-Levrone’s face-of-the-league deal with Grand Slam Track was worth well over $300,000.
Grand Slam Track abruptly cancelled its final scheduled event in Los Angeles less than three weeks before it was set to take place, citing concerns over the venue and broadcast arrangements. It later came out that the decision was made to avoid major financial losses. Attendance at the Kingston, Jamaica, and Miami meets fell short of expectations, leaving the league unable to justify the cost of staging another large-scale event.
McLaughlin-Levrone is not the only high-profile athlete owed a six-figure sum. U.S. Olympic 200m champion Gabby Thomas is owed $249,375, while fellow American sprinter Kenny Bednarek is owed $225,000. British distance runner Josh Kerr is listed as being owed $218,750, and reigning Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic is owed $211,875.
According to the court docket, Grand Slam Track owes a combined $9.45 million to its top 20 creditors, which include $1.26 million owed to the five athletes listed above. The filing shows the GST owes money to more than 200 total creditors. While reports have suggested the overall debt could be closer to $20 million, the exact amount has not been publicly released.
Grand Slam Track filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Dec. 11 in the state of Delaware, a process that allows companies to reorganize debt while continuing operations under court supervision. In a statement posted to social media, GST said the filing represents “the clearest path to protect the league’s mission.”
“GST can still be that league,” the statement read, “and we are working every day to ensure it is built on a foundation worthy of that purpose—to build a future that lasts.”
