Michael Johnson had a bold vision for track and field. He believed the sport, with its 2.5 billion global fans, lacked a consistent platform outside the Olympics where the fastest athletes could regularly shine. To solve that, he created Grand Slam Track (GST), aiming to capture Olympic-level excitement in a new, high-energy league. But when GST launched on April 4 at Kingston’s National Stadium in Jamaica, it didn’t go as planned.
Despite featuring stars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Marileidy Paulino, Oblique Seville, and Danielle Williams—along with 17 top Jamaican athletes—the crowd was sparse. Only around 6,000 fans filled a stadium that holds 35,000. While the grandstand had some attendees, the bleachers were largely empty. Just one week earlier, the ISSA Champs had packed the stadium, making GST’s turnout look even worse by comparison. The organizers had to quickly switch strategies to salvage the moment.
That pivot came quietly through an Instagram story posted by Jamaican hurdler Ackera Nugent, later shared by World Athletics on X (formerly Twitter). The story revealed that fans arriving between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. could enter the bleachers for free—no ticket needed. After 5 p.m., a ticket would be required. This sudden shift to free access wasn’t part of the original plan but was clearly a move to fill seats and improve the event’s optics.
Ackera Nugent on Instagram.
If you arrive at GST between 3pm and 5pm you can get into Bleachers for FREE without a ticket.
After 5pm you will have to pay. pic.twitter.com/UT2YkF8Wuc
— World Athletics Hub (@wldathleticshub) April 5, 2025
The next day, GST leaned further into that approach. On April 5, the Inter Secondary School Sports Association (ISSA) notified coaches across Jamaica that all school students could attend the weekend’s events for free in the bleachers. The message was simple: “Just turn up.” This was a smart move to attract younger fans—many of whom admire global stars like McLaughlin-Levrone and Thomas—by giving them direct access without cost or hassle.
Despite the underwhelming crowd, the athletes delivered on the track. McLaughlin-Levrone, Thomas, and Paulino, among others, lived up to their reputations. Michael Johnson had hyped a potential showdown between McLaughlin-Levrone and Paulino in the 400m, highlighting GST’s format where athletes would run multiple events. This twist was meant to set GST apart from traditional meets.
Gabby Thomas kicked off the series with the women’s 200m, facing off against Dina Asher-Smith and Marileidy Paulino. Thomas trailed off the curve but surged ahead to win in 22.62 seconds. Paulino and Asher-Smith followed. It was the kind of performance that should’ve electrified the stadium—but the low attendance left the moment lacking in atmosphere.
Johnson had pitched GST as track and field’s equivalent of UFC or Formula One—an elite, global spectacle. But the reality on opening night didn’t match that ambition. Though the talent was world-class, the energy in the stadium didn’t reflect it. The event opened not with roaring crowds and explosive cheers, but with near silence.
Now, the question lingers: Did Johnson overestimate the sport’s mainstream appeal, or is GST just getting started with some early growing pains? The coming events—and how the organizers respond—will determine if this new track league can truly take off or fade quietly despite the big dreams.