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≡ KINGSTON SLAM ≡
One of the benefits which the Grand Slam Track circuit is hoping for from its program of contracted Racers and event-by-event Challengers is that who is running is well known way ahead of each meet.
On Thursday, just more than three weeks ahead of the 4 April opening session of its first “Slam” in Kingston, Jamaica, Grand Slam Track announced its line-ups (U.S. unless otherwise noted):
Men/Short Sprints (100-200 m):
● Racers: Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Oblique Seville (JAM), Zharnel Hughes (GBR)
● Challengers: Courtney Lindsey, Ackeem Blake (JAM), Terrence Jones, Joseph Fahnbulleh (LBA)
Kerley was the Olympic 100 m bronze medalist in Paris and 2022 World Champion; Bednarek was the Tokyo and Paris 200 m silver winner. Bednarek and Seville were 7-8 in the Paris 100 final.
Men/Long Sprints: (200-400 m):
● Racers: Quincy Hall, Muzala Samukonga (ZAM), Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR), Jereem Richards (TTO)
● Challengers: Busang Collen Kebinatshipi (BOT), Vernon Norwood, Chris Bailey, Deandre Watkin (JAM)
Hall, Hudson-Smith and Samukonga went 1-2-3 in Paris, with Richards fourth and Bailey sixth! Norwood won another gold on the men’s 4×400 m relay.
Men/Short Distance (800-1,500 m):
● Racers: Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr (GBR), Yared Nuguse, Marco Arop (CAN)
● Challengers: Emmanuel Wanyonyi (KEN), Bryce Hoppel, Neil Gourley (GBR), Mohamed Attaoui (ESP)
Hocker was the 1,500 m Olympic champion in Paris, ahead of Kerr (2023 World Champion) and Nuguse. Wanyonyi and Arop were 1-2 in the Olympic 800 m, with Hoppel setting an American Record in placing fourth. This group offers a wonderful contrast in styles which should be great fun to watch.
Men/Long Distance (3,000-5,000 m):
● Racers: Grant Fisher, Ronald Kwemoi (KEN), Hagos Gebrhiwet (ETH)
● Challengers: Cooper Teare, Thierry Ndikumwenayo (ESP), Dominic Lobalu (SUI), Dylan Jacobs, Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH)
Kwemoi and Fisher went 2-3 in the Paris 5,000 m and Fisher went crazy indoors, setting world records at 3,000 m (7:22.91) and 5,000 m (12:44.09). Gebrhiwet was fifth in Paris in 2024, but was the year leader at 12:36.73 in May in Oslo.
Men/Short Hurdles (110 m Hurdles-100 m):
● Racers: Freddie Crittenden, Sasha Zhoya (FRA), Daniel Roberts, Orlando Bennett (JAM)
● Challengers: Hansle Parchment (JAM), Cordell Tinch, Cameron Murray, Dylan Beard
Roberts was the Paris Olympic runner-up, with Crittenden sixth and Bennett seventh. Parchment was the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champ. It will be fascinating to see the sprint times for these hurdlers!
Men/Long Hurdles (400 m hurdles-400 m):
● Racers: Clement Ducos (FRA), Alison Dos Santos (BRA), Caleb Dean, Roshawn Clarke (JAM)
● Challengers: Malik James-King (JAM), CJ Allen, Chris Robinson, Trevor Bassitt
Dos Santos won the Paris bronze after being 2022 World Champion and the Tokyo 2020 bronze medalist. Ducos was fourth in Paris and Bassitt was the 2022 Worlds bronze winner in Eugene. Dean was the NCAA 400H winner (47.23), but fell at the Olympic Trials.
Women’s Short Sprints (100-200 m):
● Racers: Brittany Brown, Daryll Neita (GBR), Melissa Jefferson-Wooden
● Challengers: Alana Reid (JAM), Jacious Sears, Tamara Clark, Favour Ofili (NGR), Kemba Nelson (JAM)
Jefferson-Wooden won the Olympic 100 m bronze in Paris, Brown won the 200 m bronze and Neita won a 4×100 m silver for Britain. Sears ran 10.77 for no. 3 in the world in 2024 before her injury at the SEC meet and was the U.S. runner-up indoors in 2025.
Women’s Long Sprints (200-400 m):
● Racers: Gabby Thomas, Nickisha Pryce (JAM), Alexis Holmes, Marileidy Paulino (DOM)
● Challengers: Salwa Eid Naser (BRN), Dina Asher-Smith (GBR), Talitha Diggs, Stacey Ann Williams (JAM)
Thomas had a dream Olympics with a 200 m win and then two relay golds. Paulino won the 400 m with Naser second and Holmes in sixth. Price was the NCAA champ and had the no. 3 time in the world last year (48.57).
Women’s Short Distance (800-1,500 m):
● Racers: Jess Hull (AUS), Nikki Hiltz, Diribe Welteji (ETH), Mary Moraa (KEN)
● Challengers: Nelly Chepchirchir (KEN), Heather MacLean, Natoya Goule-Toppin (JAM), Susan Ejore (KEN)
Hull won the Olympic 1,500 m silver in Paris and set the 2,000 m world record earlier in the season. Welteji was fourth, Ejore sixth and Hiltz seven at the Games in 2024. Moraa was the Paris 800 m bronzer after winning the 2023 Worlds gold; Maclean set the American Indoor Record for 1,500 m (3:59.60) in March.
Women’s Long Distance (3,000-5,000 m):
● Racers: Nozomi Tanaka (JPN), Tsige Gebreselama (ETH), Agnes Ngetich (KEN), Elise Cranny
● Challengers: Hellen Ekalale (KEN), Whittni Morgan, Melissa Courtney-Bryant (GBR), Ejgayehu Taye (ETH)
Taye was sixth and Cranny 11th and Morgan 14th in the Paris Olympic 5,000 m final. Taye, Tanaka and Cranny went 5-8-9 at the 2023 Worlds 5,000 m. Ngetich won the 2023 World Cross Country bronze and set a world road 10 km record of 28:46 in January 2024.
Women’s Short Hurdles (100 m hurdles-100 m):
● Racers: Ackera Nugent (JAM), Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR), Masai Russell, Cyrena Samba-Mayela (FRA)
● Challengers: Danielle Williams (JAM), Grace Stark, Denisha Cartwright (BAH), Alia Armstrong (JAM)
Camacho-Quinn won the Tokyo Olympic gold and Russell won in Paris, over Samba-Mayela on the lean at the line. Stark was fifth in Paris and Nugent didn’t finish, but had the fastest time of the year (12.24). Williams is a two-time World Champion.
Women’s Long Hurdles (400 m hurdles-400 m):
● Racers: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Shamier Little, Rushell Clayton (JAM), Jasmine Jones
● Challengers: Shiann Salmon (JAM), Cathelijn Peeters (NED), Andrenette Knight (JAM), Dalilah Muhammad
McLaughlin set a world record in winning the Tokyo 400H final and in Paris (50.37). Jones was fourth in Paris, Clayton was fifth and Salmon was sixth. Little has won two Worlds silvers in her career and Muhammad was the Rio 2016 Olympic winner and set two world records in 2019.
These are strong fields for sure. The winner of each Slam group will take home $100,000 in prize money, and the 8th place competitor will earn $10,000.
The time schedule was also released, showing fairly compact racing on all three days:
● 4 April: 5:42 p.m. to 7:21 p.m. (Jamaican time)
● 5 April: 5:42 p.m. to 7:21 p.m.
● 6 April: 2:42 p.m. to 4:21 p.m.
The second Slam will be in Miramar, Florida from 2-4 May.
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