HERE’S THIS MONTH’S collection of short takes on generally off-track activities that have gone/will go a long way towards shaping the way the sport is headed.
Grand Slam Cancels Last Meet Of Season
Michael Johnson’s bold new venture, Grand Slam Track, staged its first two meets, Kingston and Miami, as planned. But the third meet of the series, Philadelphia, was cut from a 3-day format to just 2. And now the climactic 3-day affair set for LA in June, has been canceled.
Putting a positive spin on things, Johnson said, “The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season, and the importance of looking towards 2026 and beyond.
“We launched with a bold vision to reimagine professional track racing and we could not be more excited about what we have accomplished so far, delivering amazing races to a rabid fan base. As we’ve said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren’t comfortable, but what’s most important is the future and sustainability of the league.”
Johnson concluded, “The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability as the world’s premier track league. Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition that we have become known for in our debut year.”
’29 & ’31 WC Bidding Process Opens
The next two World Championships will be held in Tokyo (’25) and Beijing (’27). After that? The dominoes are now officially falling for ’29 and ’31, with no city/country having yet announced intentions to bid.
In June, the Official Launch & Bid Guide was released. Upcoming deadlines: Pre-Qualification Form submissions (October 01); Bid Application Form initial submissions (April 01, 2026); Bid Application Form final submissions (August 05, 2026); event awarded by WA Council (September 2026).
Another Court Date For Knighton
Young U.S. sprint ace Erriyon Knighton sat out most of the early ’24 season while his legal team appealed a charge related to his having tested positive for the performance enhancer Trenbolone.
Just in time for him to be able to run in the Olympic Trials, a U.S. tribunal ruled that it was the result of contaminated meat. He went on to finish 4th in the Olympic 200 final.
That has turned out not to be the end of things, however, with WADA and the AIU filing combined appeals with CAS. The arbitrators were expected to hold a 2-day hearing in June and to produce a verdict “in a few weeks.”
The 21-year-old Knighton’s minimalist ’25 campaign has seen his outdoor activity consisting of just a pair of 400s in April, one of them a PR 45.37.
Mondo Thinking Stratospheric Barrier
The vertical jumps lend themselves to barrier-based thinking. After Dutch Warmerdam claimed the first 15-footer in ’40, it wasn’t until John Uelses — using a revolutionary “new” fiberglass pole broke 16. The next year Finn Pentti Nikula was the first over 5m (16-4¾). Progress was then swift, with 17ft (John Pennel) falling later that same year. 18 was topped by Chris Papanicoláou of Greece in ’70. The first 19-footer was France’s Thierry Vigneron in ’81.
Then legendary Sergey Bubka got a pair of high visibility entries claiming both 6m (19-8¼ in ’85) and 20ft (6.10 in ’91). That might have seemed to be the end of it, but now already-a-legend Mondo Duplantis is making rumbles about clearing 6.40, which is 21-0.
“I’ve always believed that I’m able to keep pushing higher and of course I’ve shown now that I’m very, very close to 6.30 [20-8],” he said in Ostrava. “I want to keep pushing and I want to get to 6.30m as soon as possible.”
But that’s not all. He concluded, “I’d like to get to 6.40; that would be another crazy barrier of course and that also feels like in the realm of possibility for me.”
Former Powerhouse Drops Field Events
Once one of the best all-around collegiate programs — and one of the last to support a dual-meet concept — in the country, Washington State has kissed jumping and throwing goodbye.
In mid-June athletics officials met with members of the Cougar team to inform them that the program will be shifting to a distance-focused approach, saying, “This change gives the WSU Track & Field program the best opportunity to remain competitive at the conference and national levels in distance events in cross country, indoor track and field, and outdoor track and field.
“It does mean, however, that field events will no longer be supported, effective immediately, and the number of sprint and hurdle opportunities will be limited moving forward.” Field eventers who remain in Pullman will have their scholarships honored.
Fiery John Chaplin, who led the Cougars in most of the glory years pulled no punches, reacting, “To drop a bomb like this in the dark of night and then run off and hide from questions the media is asking is embarrassing.”
Türkiye Ramps Up On International Recruiting
If WA had such a thing as a transfer portal, it would need an extra-large door to handle all of the Jamaica-to-Türkiye traffic.
First to announce a switch — which will see them ineligible to represent their new country for 3 years — were Paris medalists Roja Stona (discus gold) and Rajindra Campbell (shot bronze). A few days later it was announced that horizontal jumpers Wayne Pinnock (’23 WC long jump silver) and Jayden Hibbert (WJR holder in the triple jump) had signed new citizenship papers. The 4 Jamaicans will be ambassadors of Türkiye’s “Talent Transfer Between Disciplines” project.
Türkiye will also be the new home of Nigerian sprinter Favour Ofili, 6th in the Olympic 200 last year. In explaining her transfer Ofili expressed her frustration with administrative lapses by her home federation.
U.S. Won’t Send Team To Pan-Am Juniors
Despite its having been known for a long time that this would be a year where Pan-Am nations would stage a U20 Championships, it wasn’t until early June that the site, Villavicencio, Colombia, was named.
Indianapolis reacted by saying, “Considering that several members of the Pan-Am U20 team would likely be minors, USATF has been working diligently since the announcement to determine the logistics involved and the viability of sending a team to this location with such short notice. Currently, with less than 30 days until travel, USATF does not have sufficient details from the organizers regarding transportation logistics, accommodations, or security support. Information on logistics is critical, as the U.S. State Department has listed Colombia as Level 3—Reconsider Travel.
“Safety and well-being of athletes and staff is a top priority for USATF at all international competitions. As member federations are awaiting essential information and there are significant concerns regarding logistics, safety, and security, USATF has made the difficult decision not to send a team.”
Revenue Sharing In College Athletics
The landmark House vs the NCAA antitrust settlement received final approval, opening the door for millions of dollars to be shared between schools and players for the first time.
The $2.8 billion, 10-year settlement will pay past players for missed name, image and likeness opportunities and allow colleges to pay current players directly starting July 01.
Said NCAA president Charlie Baker, “Approving the agreement reached by the NCAA, the defendant conferences and student-athletes in the settlement opens a pathway to begin stabilizing college sports. This new framework that enables schools to provide direct financial benefits to student-athletes and establishes clear and specific rules to regulate third-party NIL agreements marks a huge step forward for college sports.”
Football will be the big beneficiary, of course. It remains to be seen how track will be affected, but the new roster limits are expected to lead to the cutting of nearly 5000 athletes from teams across the NCAA’s 43 sponsored sports. ◻︎
