MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, May 2–4—With a jaw-dropping performance by Masai Russell, the very first race of the Miami Slam delivered the kind of punch the Grand Slam Track series needed to show it can produce quality on the level of the Diamond League. Only Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone repeated as Slam champions.
Short Hurdles: Olympic champion Russell shocked herself and the world by breaking the American Record in the 100 hurdles with her 12.17. That took down the 12.20 that Keni Harrison had set in London in 2016. It marked a major improvement over her 5th-place hurdle finish in Kingston.
Russell started from lane 4, next to an empty lane 5 (silver medalist Cyréna Samba-Mayela did not run). From every angle, it looked perfectly executed as Russell clicked over the hurdles with nary a wasted motion. In lane 1, Tia Jones kept pace and they appeared inseparable over the final hurdles. Russell dipped better, celebrating her win but apparently not seeing the time until Jones rushed up to tell her.
Disbelief struck both. Perhaps few instantly realized they had seen the second-fastest race in history because Russell hadn’t been notably ahead of the field. Jones hit 12.19 to become the No. 3 U.S. performer ever. Ackera Nugent ran 12.34 and Harrison 12.40. The wind, a perfect 2.0.
“I just went out there and competed,” said Russell. “These women bring the best out of me every single time. I just stayed on my 10, drove to the line, and did what my coach told me to do.”
The second test for the short hurdle group would be Saturday’s 100. In it, Nugent looked most like a sprinter, matching her PR with an 11.09. The Jamaican had a clear lead from the gun, with countrywoman Megan Tapper well back at 11.33. Harrison ran 11.35 and though Russell PRed at 11.40, it was not enough to grab the top prize. That $100,000 prize went to an overjoyed Nugent, one point ahead of Russell in the final standings.
“I just turned 23 and I decided that I need the 100 grand,” said Nugent.
Short Sprints: The wind for the 100 may have been a bit over the allowable at 2.4, but the results left no question that the field came ready for speed. Tamari Davis got out fast but Jefferson-Wooden also got a fine start. She pulled ahead at halfway and rode that margin across the line in 10.75 as Davis clocked 10.79. Three others broke 11.00, including Favour Ofili (10.94), Gabby Thomas (10.97) and Jacious Sears (10.98).
“Now I’m focusing on what I can do,” said the victor.
Saturday’s 200 was figured to be Thomas’s territory, and she didn’t disappoint. Jefferson-Wooden got out well, leading at 50, 100 and 150m, but Thomas, who won the long sprint slam in Kingston, timed her drive well to force her way to the finish in 21.95. Davis came up for 2nd in 22.05. Jefferson-Wooden, needing a top 3 finish for the big cash prize, held on for a 22.15 PR and the payout.
Long Sprints: Salwa Eid Naser made Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino work for her 400 win. Naser didn’t hold back, leading by more than 0.3 at halfway. Paulino came onto the stretch having to make up serious ground. Painstakingly she drove to the line, only catching her rival in the final steps to record a 49.21–49.33 victory. American Alexis Holmes ran 3rd in 50.36.
The 200 has never been a major focus for Paulino, but she caught fast-starting Nickisha Pryce early, then rocketed away for a Dominican record 22.30. Naser claimed 2nd in 22.53, ahead of Isabella Whittaker (22.76 PR) and Pryce (22.77). Paulino, of course, claimed the top prize in the category, with the $50,000 for 2nd going to Naser.
Short Distance: In a highly tactical 1500 on Saturday, Mary Moraa led at 800 in 2:21.64 but soon dropped out of contention. As expected, Nikki Hiltz moved into the mix for the bell lap, but Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu took command while Hiltz got boxed. A 58.48 lap gave Hailu the win in 4:06.96 as Hiltz came from 4th in the last 100 to finish 2nd in 4:07.08.
In a thrilling 800 on the final day, Moraa took command (400 in 60.48) while farther back, Hailu stalked Hiltz in the race for points. On the last lap, Hailu moved up to 2nd. She couldn’t get past the Kenyan, who won in 1:59.51. On the final straight Hailu dropped to 3rd when Hiltz launched her final kick, the American prevailing 1:59.75–1:59.84. Yet in the points standings, a 1st and a 3rd beats two 2nds, so Hailu celebrated the $100,000 prize.
Long Distance: Agnes Ngetich led the entire way in the opening 5000, passing 3000 in 8:38.30 with only Ethiopian Medina Eisa able to stay close. It continued in that vein for the rest of the way. The Kenyan managed to stay a step ahead of her pursuer all the way to the finish in a PR 14:25.80, accelerating to a 13.51 over the final 100. Eisa finished inches behind with her 14:25.92. “I tried to kick and we will see at the line,” said Ngetich.
On Sunday, Ngetich tried the same tactic in the 3000. This time, though, Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha took the lead with 300 left and produced a powerful final sprint for the win in a PR 8:22.72, not so far off the men’s winning time. Eisa ran a PR 8:23.08 to finish ahead of Ngetich’s PR 8:23.14. Meshesha and Ngetich tied on overall points at 18, but the Kenyan won the tiebreaker (total time) and claimed the top prize.
Long Hurdles: McLaughlin-Levrone did what she does best, dominating the 400 hurdles in Saturday’s opening race. She streaked to the lead immediately, and by the final turn had a massive lead that kept growing to the line in a world-leading 52.07. Andrenette Knight was the best of the rest, the Jamaican clocking 54.08 as Anna Hall ran a 54.43 from lane 1. “Just feeling 14 strides again,” said SML. “Obviously there’s some stuff to clean up, but I’m happy with where my fitness is.”
The 400 on Sunday was a virtual replay of the hurdles. McLaughlin-Levrone chased Shamier Little down the backstretch and on the curve built a dominating lead. On the run-in that lead grew to monstrous proportions. SML won in 49.69, far ahead of Hall (51.68) and Knight (51.80).
MIAMI GST WOMEN’S RESULTS
¶ = Slam winner; earned $100K.
Short Sprints
100(2.4): 1. ¶Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (US) 10.75w; 2. Tamari Davis (US) 10.79w; 3. Favour Ofili (Ngr) 10.94w; 4. Gabby Thomas (US) 10.97w; 5. Jacious Sears (US) 10.98w; 6. Brittany Brown (US) 11.06w; 7. Kayla White (US) 11.08w; 8. Daryll Neita (GB) 11.16w.
200(1.1): 1. Thomas; 2. Davis 22.05 PR; 3. Jefferson-Wooden 22.15 PR; 4. Ofili 22.27; 5. Brownb 22.72; 6. White 22.85; 7. Sears 22.89; 8. Neita 22.93.
Long Sprints
400: 1. ¶Marileidy Paulino (DR) 49.21; 2. Salwa Eid Naser (Bhr) 49.33; 3. Alexis Holmes (US) 50.36; 4. Isabella Whittaker (US) 50.38; 5. Nickisha Pryce (Jam) 50.71; 6. Stacey-Ann Williams (Jam) 50.76; 7. Amber Anning (GB) 50.85; 8. Kendall Ellis (US) 52.51.
200(1.0): 1. Paulino 22.30 NR; 2. Naser 22.53; 3. Whittaker 22.76 PR; 4. Pryce 22.77; 5. Holmes 22.83 PR; 6. Anning 22.97; 7. Williams 22.98; 8. Ellis 23.03.
Short Distance
1500: 1. ¶Freweyni Hailu (Eth) 4:06.96; 2. Nikki Hiltz (US) 4:07.08; 3. Diribe Welteji (Eth) 4:07.46; 4. Jessica Hull (Aus) 4:07.67; 5. Emily Mackay (US) 4:10.93; 6. Lucia Stafford (Can) 4:14.66; 7. Shafiqua Maloney (StV) 4:16.35; 8. Mary Moraa (Ken) 4:24.44 PR.
800: 1. Moraa 1:59.51; 2. Hiltz 1:59.75; 3. Hailu 1:59.84; 4. Welteji 1:59.94; 5. Hull 2:00.88; 6. Maloney 2:00.96; 7. Mackay 2:02.42; 8. Stafford 2:04.93.
Long Distance
5000: 1. ¶Agnes Ngetich (Ken) 14:25.80 PR (WL); 2. Medina Eisa (Eth) 14:25.92; 3. Hirut Meshesha (Eth) 14:40.46; 4. Janeth Chepngetich (Ken) 14:46.16; 5. Aynadis Mebratu (Eth) 15:01.62; 6. Tsige Gebreselama (Eth) 15:03.21; 7. Nozomi Tanaka (Jpn) 15:06.78; 8. Elise Cranny (US) 15:15.31.
3000: 1. Meshesha 8:22.72 PR (WL); 2. Eisa 8:23.08 PR; 3. Ngetich 8:23.14 PR; 4. Gebreselama 8:24.47; 5. Mebratu 8:35.61; 6. Chepngetich 8:37.06; 7. Cranny 8:42.30; 8. Tanaka 8:44.51.
Short Hurdles
100H(2.0): 1. Masai Russell (US) 12.17 AR (WL) (old AR 12.20 Keni Harrison [adidas] ‘16; 2, 2 W);
2. Tia Jones (US) 12.19 PR (3, 3 W; 2, 2 A);
3. ¶Ackera Nugent (Jam) 12.34; 4. Keni Harrison (US) 12.40; 5. Megan Tapper (Jam) 12.50; 6. Alaysha Johnson (US) 12.56; 7. Maribel Caicedo (Ecu) 13.12.
100(0.9): 1. Nugent 11.09 =PR; 2. Tapper) 11.33 PR; 3. Harrison 11.35; 4. Russell 11.40 PR; 5. Caicedo 11.47 PR; 6. Jones 11.50 PR.
Long Hurdles
400H: 1. ¶Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (US) 52.07 (WL); 2. Andrenette Knight (Jam) 54.08; 3. Anna Hall (US) 54.43; 4. Shiann Salmon (Jam) 54.62; 5. Sarah Carli (Aus) 54.93; 6. Cassandra Tate (US) 55.94; 7. Naomi Van Den Broeck (Bel) 56.63; 8. Shamier Little (US) 57.55.
400: 1. McLaughlin-Levrone 49.69; 2. Hall 51.68; 3. Knight 51.80; 4. Little 51.84; 5. Salmon 52.17; 6. Van Den Broeck 52.26; 7. Carli 53.01; 8. Tate 53.55.
