SailGP has the look of a runaway train, but co-founder Russell Coutts ‘far from satisfied’

On the face of it, Grand Slam Track should have worked. The brainchild of Michael Johnson, the four-time Olympic gold medal sprinter, the initiative was designed to give track and field a regular season narrative; to position track and field in the global spotlight and reward the world’s best athletes with the cash rewards and superstar profiles that their talents merited.

Still, poor crowds for Grand Slam Track’s (GTS) April 2025 debut in Jamaica raised the first red flag. Attendances over the following two meetings were moderate, and the whole thing went pop after financial issues resulted in the scrubbing of a proposed fourth leg in Los Angeles.

In January this year, GTS filed for bankruptcy with debts of more than US$40 million, and last month it was reported that a number of athletes were still waiting for monies owed.

It is a sorry story, but one that casts an even more favourable light on SailGP, the sports disruptor that only seven years after its establishment has the look of a runaway train that is still gathering pace.