Former 1,500m world champion Josh Kerr insists he bears no grudges against Grand Slam Track and would back its return, despite being owed over $218,000 (£162,000) by organisers.
The 28-year-old Scot is one of several athletes owed cash by GST, which was founded by Olympic legend Michael Johnson.
The ambitious league concept was set up to give athletes a consistent, professional platform, with high-stake encounters and lucrative prize money.
However, GST filed for bankruptcy last month, with millions owed to creditors including Kerr. It was indicated that assets were worth up to $50,000, with liabilities ranging from $10million to $50m.
Kerr told Daily Mail Sport he was still owed around ‘40 per cent’ of his earnings from GST. ‘I’m not holding my breath for it, but I believe I will be paid at some point,’ he said. ‘I’m lucky, I know how to budget, I know how to pay my bills without having to have that money come through, so I’m not too worried about the money coming in.
‘I’m in a very fortunate position and I understand that, so that’s why I’m not screaming from the rooftops.
Scotland’s Josh Kerr celebrates after winning gold in men’s 1500m at 2023 World championships
Kerr was a champion at the Grand Slam Track event in Miami last year but is still owed more than £160,000 in prize money
Kerr says he bears no grudges against Michael Johnson, above, who fronted the project, and says he still has faith in the Olympic legend
‘There are a lot of athletes who went, who might not be sponsored, or still have jobs, and that’s kind of where I get upset, to be honest.
‘It’s for the athletes that are building their careers. Some people and some of the big companies owed will be fine. Everyone else, some of the challengers that were coming in, they’re the ones I’d prefer got paid, personally.
‘It may be smaller amounts, but I think it’s important because they came out, and they did their job.’
GST focused purely on track events, with contracted racers like Kerr taking on challengers who were invited on a meet-by-meet basis.
Runners competed in two races across each meet, with the winner of each Slam group taking home $100,000. A total of $12.6m in prize money would be awarded across the Slams each year, in addition to base compensation and appearance fees.
According to Johnson, it would take athletics to ‘new heights’, ‘revolutionising’ the track landscape, while pushing ‘superstar racers to break new ground in their personal storytelling, competitive success, and marketability’.
Slam events had already taken place across Jamaica, Miami and Philadelphia, before being abruptly halted ahead of the final meet in Los Angeles.
Kerr, who won 1500m races in Miami and Philadelphia, said he was ‘not at all angry’ with Johnson or the competition organisers, despite the financial circumstances, and still backs the concept.
And he insisted that he would return to the fold, should GST stabilise and restructure.
‘I really don’t see why not. I understand that track wants to be this kind of unified place but it’s not a sport like football, or even like tennis.
‘You look at golf with all the LIV stuff, and that almost exposes some of the cracks in the current system. I think that’s what grand slam was able to do.
‘There’s always space for competition, and it gives power to the athletes and that’s what I care about. You want to be able to give the athletes options to be able to make their money and pay their way in life.
Johnson poses with champion athletes, from left, Kenneth Bednarek, Gabrielle Thomas, Diribe Welteji and Matthew Hudson-Smith at the Grand Slam Track event in Jamaica last year
Kerr edges Cole Hocker on the line to win the men’s 1500m race in Philadelphia
Kerr with his Olympic silver medal from the men’s 1500m race in Paris last summer
‘I think that’s important. I would do it again. I don’t regret anything with Grand Slam Track. I think it’s the right concept and I thought it was the right people. I just think there were some mistakes made
‘I get what they were trying to do and sometimes you just sign deals with the wrong people or you don’t have an airtight enough contract with people.
‘That’s just life. I don’t have any ill-will against anyone who’s part of GST and I truly feel they’re going to pay their debts because it’s just the right thing to do; especially to the athletes who believed in it.
‘In my opinion, it was still a great lesson for track, for athletes, it still pushed you, you know?
‘Diamond league prize money, it pushed that up, and it pushed the prize money up for World Ultimate Championships. Coming into this competition always pushes on the current systems and I think that’s great.
‘Grand Slam had some big ideas that they weren’t able to follow through on. I had some great meetings with them early on and I could start to see the cracks a little bit in some areas, but I believe in Michael, I believe in these systems, and there were good people there.
‘My question is: “Why was the spend so big in the first place, if the competition was so low”? I’m not sure what went on, but obviously I’ve got some missing cheques which isn’t ideal for our sport as contractors.
‘I still truly believe, however, that they’ll make it right. Michael will make it right and I still have faith in him.’
