Danielle Williams reacts after emerging one of eight Kingston Slam champions during Grand Slam Track at the National Stadium on Sunday. (Photo: Naphtali Junior)
‘AMAZING!’
Grand Slam Track closes enthralling Jamaica leg
Grand Slam Track closed its Kingston chapter on a high inside the National Stadium on Sunday with eight champions being crowned in their respective areas. But despite the high points, series co-founder Michael Johnson was non-committal about the event’s return to Jamaica in the future.
Johnson, who underlined the importance of paying homage to the island’s impact in the sport with regards to the decision to debut the ground-breaking series in the island’s capital, says the organising team will assess all aspects of the past three days and look to make improvements ahead of this season’s three upcoming stops and in coming years.
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“It was amazing, it was great, it was fantastic and the athletes were happy, they can’t stop talking about the experience they had here,” said Johnson.
“I think it was [the right decision to start in Jamaica], everyone was excited when we announced Kingston. I think that this was a really cool experience, we wanted to honour the heritage of Jamaica and the impact it has had on the sport and I think that we did that,” he added. “One of the things that was really important for me when I started Grand Slam Track was to innovate and modernise the presentation; modernise the concept but also stay true to the roots of the sport and as a historian of the sport myself, I appreciate the history of Jamaica and I wanted to come here and it was a really cool vibe.”
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Despite an electric atmosphere throughout, the three-day event saw relatively low attendances and Johnson admitted that this was among the points that will be discussed.
“Obviously, let’s be honest, we would have loved to see more spectators here. We think we will get that, we think that will happen but the crowd was engaged and that’s what is really important, people were really excited,” Johnson shared.
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On the track, Danielle Williams became the first Jamaican Grand Slam winner, pocketing US$100,000 and 12 points after racing to a 11.54 seconds win in the women’s 100m in the Short Hurdles category.
Williams worked her way to the front of the pack and did well to hold off countrywoman Ackera Nugent, 11.57 seconds and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, 11.73 bringing her two-race points tally to 20 points after her second-place (8 points) run in the 100m Hurdles on Saturday.
“I know I am pretty speedy, I don’t really run the flat events a lot but I know I have a lot of speed and it was really a lot of fun,” said Williams.
“To be honest, I really don’t think about the money like that. I try to focus on the things that I can control and that is my run but it’s a cool concept and it’s great to know that you can walk away with so much money, it’s really a great plus to us and we deserve it, so I am definitely pleased with that,” Williams added before weighing up what she has taken from this weekend as she looks ahead to a season that includes a World Championships in September.
“It’s a good start, a good foundation, this is my first competitions this season. I don’t usually start this early so it’s good to see where my training is taking me and where I need to go,” said Williams, who also became the first athlete, not signed as a “Racer”, to win a Grand Slam title.
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the poster girl for the series, obliged in the Women’s Long Hurdles category, sweeping the division and following up Friday’s 400m Hurdles victory with a comfortable 50.32 seconds win in the flat 400m, tallying maximum 24 points.
She was followed to the line by Jamaican Andrenette Knight, 52.09, and Dalilah Muhammad, 52.21.
Brazilian Alison Dos Santos made it consecutive wins this weekend, grabbing maximum 24 points on his way to winning the Slam in the Men’s Long Hurdles category, after his 45.52 seconds win in the 400m in a battle of guts that went all the way to the finish line.
Dos Santos started the home stretch in fourth place but found a bit more in the final 50m, outpowering Chris Robinson, 45.54, and Caleb Dean, 45.68.
In the Women’s Long Distance division, Ejgayehu Taye, who also won the 3,000m in this category, completed the sweep and took Grand Slam title with a win in the women’s 5,000m, clocking 14.54.88 minutes, showing her speed towards the end after leaving her neighbour for the previous 4,800m, Agnes Jebet Ngetich, 14.59.80, with Tsige Gabreselama, 15.24.62.
“Momma, I am going to get that apartment soon!”
Personable French hurdler Sasha Zhoya won the men’s 100m in the Short Hurdles division and proceeded to jump in celebration as much as he would in his pet event, the 110m hurdles.
Zhoya clocked 10.5 seconds, holding off Cordell Tinch, 10.65 and Dylan Beard, 10.67 seconds to tally 20 points following a second-place run in the 110m hurdles event on Saturday, securing the US$100,000 cash prize and Grand Slam champion title.
The Men’s Long Distance Grand Slam title went to American Grant Fisher, 8:03.85, whose third-place finish in the 3,000m and the accompanying 6 points were enough for him to edge out Hagos Gebrhiwet, who won the event 7:51.55. Fisher, who had previously won the 5,000m, tallied 18 points, one more than Gebrhiwet in what was the closest championships race in the series. Second place in the 3,000m went to Telahun Bekele in 8:00.68.
Melissa Jefferson swept the women’s Short Sprint with a strong win in the 200m, clocking 23.46 seconds in a -4.7m/s wind and getting the better of Jenna Prandini, 23.56, and Jacious Spears, 23.79.
Earlier, in the high school’s programme, Kingston College picked up where they left off at Champs, dominating in both relays, taking the 4x100m in 39.95 seconds before rallying in the 4x400m to win in 3:13.11.
In the sprint relay, KC got the better of Excelsior, who clocked 39.98 in a close finish with Calabar finishing in third place with a time of 40.32 seconds.
Jamaica College led for almost all of the 4x400m but could not hold off the fast-finishing KC anchor, who took charge with 40m to go, relegating JC to second in 3:13.56 as Holmwood Technical finished further back with a time of 3:13.98.
In the Girls’ 4x100m, Edwin Allen enjoyed a comfortable win, posting a time of 44.68 seconds to beat Wolmer’s, 45.14, and Hydel, 45.45 to the line.
Hydel roared back in the Girls’ 4x400m, winning in 3:14.74 ahead of Edwin Allen, 3:36.89 and Holmwood, 3:37.90.
Grand Slam Track will move to Ansin Sports Complex in Miami, May 2-4 before heading east to Franklin Field in Philadelphia (May 30 – June 1) and then closing the season at Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, June 27-29.
Johnson says the focus is now on continuing to improve the product as they go along.
“It’s a matter of once we come out of here, we have a month and we will look at everything. Now we are just celebrating that we have a great event and the athletes and fans enjoyed it but we will continue to improve. There are some things we learned here that we will improve on in Miami, same thing when we get to Philly and when we get to LA and then we will go back after the entire season and try to improve going into the next season,” said Johnson.
From left: Grand Slam Track co-founder Michael Johnson poses with Grand Slam Kingston champions Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Grant Fisher, Melissa Jefferson, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Ejgayehu Taye, Sasha Zhoya, Danielle Williams and Alison dos Santos at the National Stadium on Sunday, April 6, 2025. (Photo: Garfield Robinson)
