BBC axes popular sports pundit who owes fellow athletes millions of pounds

Legendary American sprinter Michael Johnson will not feature as part of the BBC's coverage of the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September. Johnson's absence coincides with the ongoing financial crisis that has hit his newly-founded league, Grand Slam Track, which still owes multiple athletes prize money and appearance fees.

The BBC, without offering an explanation, has confirmed that Johnson will not work as a pundit in their Tokyo studio throughout the event from September 13 to September 21. A spokesperson for the four-time Olympic champion said: "He has other commitments, unfortunately, but is looking forward to working with the BBC in the future."

Last week, Johnson admitted Grand Slam Track's financial struggles, claiming a significant loss of funding contributed to the failure to pay athletes.

In April, the league's inaugural event, held in Jamaica, did not attract the expected viewership, directly resulting in lower revenue from broadcasting and sponsorships.

Grand Slam Track originally offered athletes around £74,000 ($100,000) for winning their respective events at each of the four scheduled meets.

They were also promised additional appearance fees as official competitors, while Johnson highlighted a total prize fund of over £8.7million ($12m) during his promotion.

In April, he told the BBC: "Our athletes deserve to be paid more and we're doing that."

However, in a recent statement in response to fury over outstanding payments, the 57-year-old said: "We promised that athletes would be fairly and quickly compensated, yet here we are struggling with our ability to compensate them."

America's 200m Olympic champion, Gabby Thomas, is among several competitors who have publicly expressed their frustration during their wait for owed compensation.

World Athletics president Lord Coe has confirmed that the governing body is monitoring the situation, given its seriousness.

In June, Johnson announced the cancellation of the final Grand Slam Track event in Los Angeles.

Following the Kingston Slam, the Miami Slam and Philadelphia Slam took place in May and June, respectively.

The Los Angeles Slam was scheduled for the end of June before its axe. Johnson has described it as "one of the most difficult challenges" he has faced.

He has also confirmed that there will not be a Grand Slam Track series in 2026 until the league has settled all debts.