'It Worked For Me' - Melissa Jefferson-Wooden Defends Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden explained why she chose not to comment publicly on Michael Johnson's Grand Slam Track financial issues and refrained from criticising the project online.

The triple world champion had signed with Grand Slam Track, being entitled to the prize pool of $12.6 million. The winner of each race had been promised $100,000, with the 10th-place finisher set to receive $10,000.

On top of the prize money, racers were also entitled to earn annual base compensation, with the ‘Challenger’ athletes receiving appearance fees.

PAY ATTENTION: Stay updated with the Latest Sports News in Kenya from Pulse Sports

However, that promise was broken, and now, Michael Johnson has been in the face of criticism after failing to secure enough funds.

As quoted by BBC Sport, Michael Johnson explained that they struggled to secure funding, something that led to the cancellation of the fourth and final Slam in Los Angeles.

"We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated. Yet, here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them," Johnson said in August.

Following the announcement, several athletes, including triple Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, aired their grievances publicly. However, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden chose to remain silent about the struggles.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden expressed that, although she was unsure of what others had been saying about the financial issues at Grand Slam Track, she believed she was one of the few athletes who had not criticised the organisation because she believes in its potential.

The Olympic 100m bronze medallist acknowledged that the situation had been unfortunate and that sometimes, despite having contracts and agreements, business could still fall through if investors lost confidence, possibly due to the absence of key figures.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden admitted she did not know the exact reasons some people had withdrawn support, but felt that such factors likely contributed to the problems.

“I feel like, honestly, granted, I don't know what everybody else was saying, but I feel like I am one of the only athletes who is a racer in Grand Slam that hasn't bashed it, but that's because I genuinely believe in it. I genuinely feel like this can work,” Melissa Jefferson-Wooden said in an interview with Citius Mag.

“Obviously, the situation was very unfortunate. You know, you think you have things in play. You think you can take people for their word, signs, whatever, contracts, whatever the case may be. I'm just running my mouth. I don't know anything.

“I'm just saying. But at the end of the day, business is still a business. And some of these investors, if they don't see key people, maybe that's why that could have been a thing. I don't know, obviously, why some people decided to pull out, but I'm just saying some of those things have a factor, but it sucks because I say it all the time, it's this might be a little bit more controversial compared to things that I've said in the past, but I do feel like that.”

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added that she often spoke about how, in track and field, it was not only about being the face of the sport but also about contributing to positive change.

Referring specifically to Grand Slam Track, the triple world champion noted that the organisation had tried to do something new by focusing on events that could attract a broader audience, though many within the sport struggled to accept change.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden felt that the lack of participation from major stars such as Noah Lyles or Rai Benjamin had hurt the project, even if their concerns about payment or format were understandable.

She added that it had been unfair to athletes like herself who were still trying to establish their careers. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden concluded that, for her personally, Grand Slam had provided a valuable platform and the opportunity to perform well, but the overall experience had also been somewhat disappointing despite its benefits.

“Because as much as the people in the track and field love our sport, like as much as we do love it, our world is so small, right, compared to everyone else. And so, for a lot of the time, we have a hard time accepting what can be if it isn't the way it's always been or if it's right how whatever the case may be,” Melissa Jefferson-Wooden added.

“And I just don't think that at the end of the day it was fair to the rest of us who were like me, now who's trying to come up. Obviously, Grand Slam worked for me. It gave me the platform that I needed. I was in shape to go and run all these rounds and do whatever I needed to do. It worked for me. However, it hurt in a sense, like if that makes sense.”

At the moment, Grand Slam Track has secured emergency financing to partially settle its outstanding debts with athletes, signalling a potential revival in 2026 despite a turbulent inaugural season.