USA’s Melissa Jefferson reacts after winning the women’s 100m event during the Grand Slam Track … More
With Grand Slam Track officially off and running following its debut in Kingston, Jamaica at the top of April, this weekend will mark the second installment and the U.S. debut of the new league featuring Olympians Sydney McLaughlin, Fred Kerley, Kenny Bednarek, Gabby Thomas, Cole Hocker and Grant Fisher.
Led by four-time Olympic gold medalist and commissioner Michael Johnson—not to mention, overseen by Robert F. Smith, a board member of the league and the billionaire founder and chairman of Vista Equity—Grand Slam Track’s first outing in Jamaica featured some top-line moments on the track, including its first array of $100,000 winners like McLaughlin and Bednarek.
That wasn’t all, though. Grand Slam Track even netted some major surprises, such as Challengers Ejgayehu Taye, Danielle Williams and Emmanuel Wanyonyi walking away with life-changing paydays. In fact, Wanyonyi’s stunning performance in the short distance category may have been the moment of the meet, with the Kenyan taking down a stacked lineup that included Hocker, Josh Kerr and Yared Nuguse.
This week’s Slam in South Florida at the Ansin Sports Complex—which, to be fair, is actually in Miramar, Florida, and roughly a 21 mile drive north from Miami—will highlight some different players in the Challenger category, including Great Britain’s Amber Anning (women’s long sprints); the U.S.’s Trey Cunningham (men’s short hurdles), Tamari Davis (women’s short sprints) and Anna Hall (women’s long hurdles); and Canada’s Andre De Grasse (men’s short sprints).
The competition will be as fierce as ever. Let’s dive into what you should know.
USA’s Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone competes to win the women’s 400m event during the Grand Slam Track … More
Where And When Is The Grand Slam Track Miami Meet Airing?
Fortunately for track fans stateside, there are a number of options to view the meet.
The most convenient is the over-the-top (OTT) stream with Peacock, which will air all three days from start to finish on its app. The meet will begin on May 2 at 6:00 p.m. EST and will end at 9:00 p.m. EST. Days two and three will go from 6-9 p.m. EST and 3-6 p.m. EST, respectively.
On the second and third days, The CW will offer a linear option, with the broadcast partner airing the meet from 6-9 p.m. EST and 3-6 p.m. EST. Grand Slam Track’s results can be accessed at grandslamtrack.com.
Who Are The Top Athletes To Watch At The Grand Slam Track Miami Meet?
Grand Slam Track’s greatest attribute is its roster. The league signed long-term contracts with 48 “racers” to compete in each of its four Slams, including McLaughlin, Bednarek, Thomas, Kerley, Hocker and Fisher. On the other side, 48 “challengers” will make-up the remaining slots across the six events—short sprints, short hurdles, long sprints, long hurdles, short distance and long distance.
While those six U.S. athletes in the racers category may be the quote-unquote “stars of the show,” none are guaranteed to walk away with the top money. That’s the beauty of Grand Slam Track.
In fact, only four of them–McLaughlin, Bednarek, Fisher and Thomas–earned the top prize pool in Kingston.
If we’re going by the “Heroes vs. Villains” storyline, the league’s racers represent the top contenders in each of the disciplines. Brazil’s Alison dos Santos, Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith and Josh Kerr, and France’s Sasha Zhoya are also key performers headed for their second Slams.
Which Athlete Has The Most To Gain In Grand Slam Track No. 2?
From a standpoint of redemption, you have to look at Americans Masai Russell, Hocker, Yared Nuguse and Nikki Hiltz first.
All four have the ability to win their categories, though none was able to achieve that feat the first time around. Hiltz was the closest to the bag, with the middle-distance racer finishing second overall to Diribe Wellteji overall—despite winning the 800 meter distance in 1:58.23, Hiltz’s third-place finish in the 1,500 meters pushed her back. They should be right back in the mix this weekend.
Russell, meanwhile, probably has the most to gain. The Olympic gold medalist in the women’s 100 meter hurdles was sixth in the first installment. The same can be said of Nuguse and Hocker, who were third and fourth in their first Slams.
From a challenger standpoint, American Chris Bailey was second overall in the long sprints category in Jamaica and remains in incredible form, while Cunningham might be the most in-form hurdler entering the men’s lineup after beating Olympic gold medalist Grant Holloway in a world-leading time of 13.09 seconds at the Tom Jones Memorial meet two weeks ago.
Of course, it only lasted a week because Cordell Tinch, who is also a challenger in Miami, ran 13.06 to win in the Diamond League’s opening meet in Xiamen, China, this past week.
Hall will be a welcome addition to Grand Slam Track this week. The Olympian and World Championship silver medalist is a superstar heptathlete who’s headed for the women’s long hurdles. Alaysha Johnson, meanwhile, will enter into the short hurdles category and is a threat to win, too.
Which Athletes Won The First Grand Slam Track Meet In Jamaica?
The women’s winners from the Kingston Slam were Ejgayehu Taye (women’s long distance), Sydney McLaughlin (women’s long hurdles), Gabby Thomas (women’s long sprints), Diribe Welteji (women’s short distance), Danielle Williams (women’s short hurdles) and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (women’s short sprints).
The men’s winners from the Kingston Slam were Grant Fisher (men’s long distance), Alison dos Santos (men’s long hurdles), Matthew Hudson-Smith (men’s long sprints), Emmanuel Wanyonyi (men’s short distance), Sasha Zhoya (men’s short hurdles) and Kenny Bednarek (men’s short sprints).
How Many Meets Are Scheduled For The Grand Slam Track Series?
The Miami Slam is the second of four meets scheduled for the Grand Slam Track League.
The schedule includes Slams in Kingston, Jamaica; Miami, Florida; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and Los Angeles, California.
USA’s Kenneth Bednarek of team Nike celebrates winning the men’s men 100m short sprint during the … More
How Does Grand Slam Track Work?
In a slightly complicated way.
Track fans and casual fans who tune in will have to navigate the way the league positions its results and scoring. With more emphasis on points and less of it on times, the format is sometimes bogged down by, well, math.
But, here’s how it breaks down: Each Slam holds six events for each gender, while eight athletes will be on the line for each event. Winners of each event earn points, which then combine over two events to give them their overall score. The athlete with the top overall score during an event will win the Slam. The top prize for the winner of a Slam is $100,000, while each descending athlete will also receive a guaranteed payout.
The total prize pool for each Slam is a total of $3.15 million dollars.
When Is The Next Grand Slam Track Meet On The Schedule?
The next Slam on the schedule is Grand Slam Track Philadelphia, which will take place from May 30-June 1 at Franklin Field.
