KINGSTON, JAMAICA, April 06 — Hot wind swirled around the National Stadium Sunday afternoon as Grand Slam Track crowned 8 more $100,000 winners.
The 3-day meet concluded with an enticing flat 400 featuring Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, but her competition wasn’t strong, and the stiff breeze erased any chance of a breakout time. Still, SML managed 50.32 in a controlled effort. With the 400H win in the bag two days earlier, this one made her — to no one’s surprise — the overall women’s long hurdles group winner.
SML said she’ll consider other Slam groups for future meets: “We’ve definitely talked about maybe doing [the long sprints] in LA, maybe even the 100H and 100 in Philly.”
Melissa Jefferson swept the short sprints, clocking 23.46 into a 4.7mps wind, with Jenna Prandini the runner-up both times.
Danielle Williams of Jamaica pleased the local fans as her flat 100 win in 11.54 (-3.4 wind) allowed her the overall women’s short hurdles title.
Alison dos Santos cruised to the open 400 win among the long hurdlers in 45.52. All times on the inaugural GST meet’s final day were relatively meaningless. The wind was a constant factor on a hot and breezy tropical afternoon, and time did nothing to advance an athlete’s cause toward the money. The races became mostly tactical affairs.
Exhibit 1: Grant Fisher grabbed the long distance title even though Hagos Gebrhiwet ran away with the 3000. Fisher smartly knew what it would take to win the group, and he hung back with the pack as Gebrhiwet and Telahun Bekele opened big gaps early in the race. Gebrhiwet won easily in a 7:51.55 solo effort. Fisher was 12 seconds back but unleashed a devastating kick to go from 6th to 3rd in the homestretch, capturing his group win by a single point.
Fisher, $100K to the good, declared in a trackside interview, “This was some of the windiest conditions I’ve ever been in, but it was fun, and the atmosphere was good. Man, these horns they have?!”
While the 5000/3000 pairing affords long distance group competitors time to strategize and race only as hard as is needed, math calculations on the go are a challenge of their own. Said Fisher, “You know the meme of the lady where she’s doing, like, Pythagorean Theorem? You know what I’m talking about, the GIF? That’s what I felt like. Like I swear if I get 3rd I have it wrapped up.”
In the women’s 5000, Ejgayehu Taye clearly wanted to double up on her earlier win in the 3000, but the weather was not ideal for distance racing. Nevertheless, she shadowed Agnes Ngetich, a stellar half-marathoner who knew she had to put the hurt to the field to have a chance, as the two put a lot of space between them and the field. Taye waited until just past halfway, then grabbed the lead and never relented, finishing in 14:54.88, sweeping the long distance group.
Again, the short-distance category was the most compelling. After Emmanuel Wanyonyi stole the 1500 from the specialists on day 2 it was assumed he’d be the man to beat in Sunday’s 800 final. But Marco Arop took advantage of the cat-and-mouse with Wanyonyi and the 1500’s big 3 from Paris. The Canadian raced uncontested down the stretch, marking 1:45.13 despite swirling wind — listed as 7.0mps in unusual results-reporting wind readings for around-the-track events.
The happiest winner of the day turned out to be Sasha Zhoya of France in the men’s short hurdles group’s flat 100. After winning convincingly in 10.55, he went on a joyful rampage up and down the homestretch to the delight of the spectators, as he was unable to contain his excitement in claiming the group win and the hundred-grand.
As has been pointed, out this unique format of track requires a different approach to viewing and appreciating the competition. Times went out the window as the weather combined with tactics that smart racers employed, unwilling to gamble with the opportunity to win money that few of them have seen before in their careers. It requires focused engagement with the races to fully appreciate what every racer is facing as changing situations compel different strategies.
In the bigger picture, Grand Slam Track will learn that track geeks want detailed real-time results, and that if you want all races to be honest and fast you might offer premiums to motivate the competitors. They seem open to exploring other ways to improve the experience. Expect some changes in a month when the second Slam opens in Miramar, Florida.
In a display of their priorities, they have portions of the TV element nailed. Streaming in 186 countries, and on major platforms in the US in near-prime time is impressive at this early stage. Production-wise they held nothing back as there were cameras of every type in every corner of the stadium: rail-cams on the homestretch and the backstretch, combined with jib, multiple studio cameras, several Steadicams, myriad ENG cameras and DSLR videographers roaming all over the track, not to mention a fleet of drones buzzing in the skies constantly. The TV crew shipped two containers full of production gear from the mainland to cover the show from every angle.
A counter consideration is that more than a few committed U.S. track fans decried the 3-hour telecasts as too long. The words “fast-forwarded through all the talk” or similar were a common feature in the viewer commentary.
No matter what side of the opinion page you’re on regarding Grand Slam Track, it’s likely you and everyone else will be talking about it, and that’s likely the best outcome Michael Johnson could hope for at this early stage.
GST KINGSTON MEN’S RESULTS
Kingston, Jamaica, April 04-06 (each athlete raced twice)—
¶=Slam winner; earned $100K.
Short Sprints
100(-1.3, 04/04): 1. ¶Kenny Bednarek (US) 10.07; 2. Oblique Seville (Jam) 10.08; 3. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 10.13;
4. Ackeem Blake (Jam) 10.13; 5. Courtney Lindsey (US) 10.25; 6. Terrence Jones (Bah) 10.26; 7. Fred Kerley (US) 10.30; 8. Joe Fahnbulleh (Lbr) 10.39.
200(0.2, 04/05): 1. Bednarek 20.07; 2. Hughes 20.37; 3. Kerley 20.39; 4. Fahnbulleh 20.42; 5. Seville 20.43; 6. Lindsey 20.62; 7. Blake 20.68; 8. Jones 20.79.
Long Sprints
400 (04/04): 1. Bailey 44.34 (WL, AL);
2. Hudson-Smith 44.65; 3. Norwood 44.70; 4. Barnes 45.11; 5. Kebinatshipi 45.15; 6. Samukonga 45.27; 7. Richards 45.35; 8. Watkin 45.45.
200(-3.3, 04/05): 1. ¶Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) 20.77; 2. Jereem Richards (Tri) 20.81; 3. Deandre Watkin (Jam) 20.91; 4. Vernon Norwood (US) 20.92;
5. Chris Bailey (US) 20.93 PR; 6. Collen Kebinatshipi (Bot) 21.08; 7. Muzala Samukonga (Zam) 21.24; 8. Zandrion Barnes (Jam) 21.59.
Short Distances
800 (04/06): 1. Marco Arop (Can) 1:45.13; 2. ¶Emmanuel Wanyonyi (Ken) 1:46.44; 3. Bryce Hoppel (US) 1:47.02;
4. Neil Gourley (GB) 1:47.84; 5. Cole Hocker (US) 1:48.02; 6. Yared Nuguse (US) 1:48.16; 7. Mohamed Attaoui (Spa) 1:48.44; 8. Josh Kerr (GB) 1:50.68.
1500(04/05): 1. Wanyonyi 3:35.18 PR; 2. Nuguse 3:35.36; 3. Hocker :35.52; 4. Gourley 3:35.60; 5. Kerr 3:35.61; 6. Arop 3:39.65; 7. Hoppel 3:39.78 PR; 8. Attaoui 3:39.78.
Long Distances
3000 (04/06): 1. Hagos Gebrhiwet (Eth) 7:51.55; 2. Telahun Haile (Eth) 8:00.68; 3. ¶Grant Fisher (US) 8:03.85; 4. Ronald Kwemoi (Ken) 8:04.12; 5. Cooper Teare (US) 8:04.16;
5000 (04/04): 1. Fisher 14:39.14; 2. Teare 14:39.31; 3. Jacobs 14:39.56; 4. Gebrhiwet 14:40.20;
5. Kwemoi 14:40.64; 6. Ndikumwenayo 14:41.23; 7. Haile 14:42.20; 8. Philibert-Thiboutot 14:44.30.
6. Dylan Jacobs (US) 8:04.86 PR; 7. Thierry Ndikumwenayo (Spa) 8:08.52; 8. Charles Philibert-Thiboutot (Can) 8:09.46.
Short Hurdles
100(-2.0, 04/06): 1. ¶Sasha Zhoya (Fra) 10.55; 2. Cordell Tinch (US) 10.65 PR; 3. Dylan Beard (US) 10.67; 4. Eric Edwards (US) 10.68;
5. Daniel Roberts (US) 10.70; 6. Omar McLeod (Jam) 10.73; 7. Orlando Bennett (Jam) 10.77; 8. Freddie Crittenden (US) 10.97.
110H(-0.5, 04/05): 1. Beard 13.29; 2. Zhoya 13.34; 3. Crittenden 13.35; 4. Roberts 13.36; 5. Tinch 13.38; 6. McLeod 13.38; 7. Edwards 13.42; 8. Bennett 13.61.
Long Hurdles
400 (04/06): 1. ¶Alison dos Santos (Bra) 45.52; 2. Chris Robinson (US) 45.54 PR; 3. Caleb Dean (US) 45.68 PR;
4. Roshawn Clarke (Jam) 45.73; 5. Malik James-King (Jam) 46.57; 6. Assinie Wilson (Jam) 46.70; 7. CJ Allen (US) 46.95;… dnc— Clement Ducos (Fra).
400H (04/04): 1. dos Santos 47.61 (WL);
2. Clarke 48.20; 3. Dean 48.58; 4. Malik-King 48.69; 5. Allen 48.71; 6. Robinson 49.21; 7. Wilson 53.24; 8. Ducos 54.73.
GST KINGSTON WOMEN
Short Sprints
100(-0.6, 04/05): 1. ¶Melissa Jefferson (US) 11.11; 2. Jenna Prandini (US) 11.23; 3. Jacious Sears (US) 11.25;
4. Daryll Neita (GB) 11.33; 5. Kemba Nelson (Jam) 11.37; 6. Alana Reid (Jam) 11.47; 7. Tamara Clark (US) 11.58; 8. Jodean Williams (Jam) 11.68.
200(-4.7, 04/06): 1. Jefferson 23.46; 2. Prandini 23.56; 3. Sears 23.79; 4. Nelson 23.84; 5. Neita 23.89; 6. Reid 24.02; 7. Williams 24.29;… dnc—Clark.
Long Sprints
200(-0.2, 04/04): 1. ¶Gabby Thomas (US) 22.62; 2. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 22.93; 3. Dina Asher-Smith (GB) 22.96;
4. Salwa Eid Naser (Bhr) 22.99; 5. Talitha Diggs (US) 23.30; 6. Alexis Holmes (US) 23.33; 7. Stacey-Ann Williams (Jam) 23.35; 8. Nickisha Pryce (Jam) 23.75.
400 (04/05): 1. Eid Naser 48.67 (WL);
2. Thomas 49.14 PR (7, x A);
3. Paulino 49.35; 4. Holmes 50.12; 5. Williams 50.37; 6. Pryce 50.92; 7. Diggs 52.05; 8. Asher-Smith 52.15 PR.
Short Distances
800 (04/04): 1. Nikki Hiltz (US) 1:58.23 PR (WL, AL);
2. ¶Diribe Welteji (Eth) 1:58.29; 3. Jessica Hull (Aus) 1:58.58 PR; 4. Sage Hurta-Klecker (US) 1:59.26;
5. Susan Ejore-Sanders (Ken) 1:59.26; 6. Natoya Goule-Toppin (Jam) 1:59.78; 7. Heather MacLean (US) 2:00.71; 8. Mary Moraa (Ken) 2:00.97.
1500 (04/05): 1. Welteji 4:04.51 (outWL);
2. Ejore-Sanders 4:05.10; 3. Hiltz 4:05.39; 4. Hull 4:05.48; 5. MacLean 4:07.11; 6. Hurta-Klecker 4:10.16; 7. Goule-Toppin 4:20.73.
Long Distances
3000 (04/04): 1. Ejgayehu Taye (Eth) 8:28.42 (out WL);
2. Agnes Ngetich (Ken) 8:28.75 PR; 3. Tsige Gebreselama (Eth) 8:38.15; 4. Helen Lobun (Ken) 8:42.51;
5. Whittni Morgan (US) 8:43.35 PR; 6. Elise Cranny (US) 8:44.03; 7. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 8:49.10; 8. Emily Infeld (US) 8:56.66.
5000 (04/06): 1. Taye 14:54.88 (out WL);
2. Ngetich 14:59.80; 3. Gebreselama 15:24.62; 4. Infeld 15:26.87;
5. Lobun 15:28.70; 6. Cranny 15:31.61; 7. Tanaka 15:31.93; 8. Morgan 15:36.31.
Short Hurdles
100(-3.4, 04/06): 1. ¶Danielle Williams (Jam) 11.54; 2. Ackera Nugent (Jam) 11.57; 3. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PR) 11.73;
4. Denisha Cartwright (Bah) 11.74; 5. Masai Russell (US) 11.86; 6. Tia Jones (US) 12.26; 7. Amber Hughes (US) 12.32.
100H(-1.4, 04/05): 1. Jones 12.63 (WL);
2. Williams 12.70; 3. Camacho-Quinn 12.70; 4. Nugent 12.75;
5. Russell (US) 12.78; 6. Cartwright 12.96; 7. Hughes 13.39.
Long Hurdles
400 (04/06): 1. ¶Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (US) 50.32; 2. Andrenette Knight (Jam) 52.09; 3. Dalilah Muhammad (US) 52.21;
4. Shiann Salmon (Jam) 52.25; 5. Cathelijn Peeters (Neth) 52.52; 6. Cassandra Tate (US) 52.73;… dnf—Rushell Clayton (Jam).
400H (04/04): 1. McLaughlin-Levrone 52.76 (WL, AL);
2. Muhammad 54.59; 3. Clayton 55.02; 4. Knight 55.06; 5. Peeters 55.85; 6. Salmon 55.89; 7. Tate 56.65.
