Grand Slam track event ends in Miramar with excitement for fans, financial hope for athletes

Four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson revolutionized track and field with an unorthodox, stiff upright running style and pitter-patter short steps that made him a sprint icon.

Johnson has long since hung up his signature golden spikes but has found a new way to shake up a sport that some claimed needed a financial and exposure shot in the arm, with a bold Grand Slam Track series which drew stellar reviews at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar this weekend.

“I owe everything I have to track,” said Johnson. “I would not be standing here if not for this sport. So have I always felt a responsibility to give back to it. I’ve always, as well understood this sport is not reaching it’s potential. It has amazing potential but it’s not reaching its potential. So I got to a point in my life where I had the time and resources and the ability to actually invest back in the sport and try to actually help it reach its potential.”

The Grand Slam series, which Johnson created to provide year-round meaningful exposure and a very attractive payout to athletes, got instant credibility with some of the biggest names in track and field participating, including Brasil’s Alison Dos Santos, Americans Masai Russell, Gabby Thomas and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu, who each took turns bringing the Ansin bleacher section to its feet over three days.

Russell, an Olympic gold medalist, set the tone Saturday for the debut of the Grand Slam series on U.S. soil by setting a U.S. record in the 100-meter hurdles in 12.17 seconds. It is the second-fasted time recorded in the discipline.

Fellow U.S. sprinter Tia Jones followed in 12.19, the third-fastest time ever.

Meanwhile, Britain’s Josh Kerr etched his name in the Grand Slam record books by winning the men’s short distance category to claim $100,000 in prize money after finishing fifth in the 800 on Saturday and winning the 1,500 on Friday.

Saturday also saw a sensational women’s 200-meter finish as Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas held off Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to win her signature event in a season-best 21.95.

But Jefferson-Wooden’s third-place finish, coupled with her victory over Thomas in the 100 meters Friday was enough to edge Thomas for the women’s short sprints title. “I think, coming off of the disappointment yesterday [Friday] I got it together and I got my mental back together for today,” Thomas said. “And I controlled what I would control I knew what I had to win if I wanted a chance to win I needed some other things to shake out in my favor which they just didn’t. But I also had a great Slam. So I just gotta take this loss on the chin and do better.’

Miramar was the second of four stops on this highly anticipated debut tour which started in Kingston in April and will resume in Philadelphia on May 30 and then Los Angeles on June 27.

McLaughlin-Levrone continued her historic tear in the 400 meter hurdles by cruising to victory in 52.07, the fastest time ever before the month of June, and extending her undefeated streak to 12 in 400 hurdles finals.

Her last defeat came at the 2019 World Championships.

Also Saturday, American Jacory Patterson clocked a personal best and world-leading 43.98 in the men’s 400 meters.

Trinidad and Tobago’s Jereem Richards finished runner-up in the 400, which was just enough the clinch the men’s long sprints title after winning the 200 on Friday. Richards revealed he has not gotten his just due as a sprinter.

“I don’t look for ratings from no one,’ Richards said. “But I think I am a very underrated athlete in this sport. It’s OK though. I do it for myself. I do it for my family, for my country. Once I get the ratings from them I’m not looking for them. Once my family rate me or my close friends rate me, that’s all I really need. I don’t care too much.’

Fair compensation has long been a lament of professional track and field athletes who occasionally sacrifice their training by taking jobs to finance their dreams.

Patterson, for one, shared how he is currently working overnight loading a UPS truck to finance his athletic pursuits.

“My back is against the wall right now, man,” said Patterson. “Like I just said out there. I got a job loading trucks at UPS right now. I am getting off at 4 o’clock in the morning every morning during the week day. So man, the goal was to come out here and make some money so I can just go back home and focus on training and not have to put my body through all that. This helps a lot. Big shout out to Grand Slam, big shout out to Michael Johnson for putting all this together. Track and field never seen anything like this. I hope this continues way, way down the line.”

The Grand Slam series, Johnson’s brain child, could be one of the financial remedies this sport has been looking for.

While the overall Grand Slam champions earn $100,000 in prize money, the top eight finishers in the points tally get compensated with runners-up taking home $50,000 and third-place finishers $30,000.

On Sunday Alison Dos Santos, McLaughlin-Levrone, and Bednarek each ran Grand Slam series record to 4-0 with convincing victories.

McLaughlin-Levrone made her second consecutive Grand Slam sweep in the 400 and 400 hurdles look effortless while Bednarek, remained undefeated in the short sprints by winning the 200 in a world-leading 19.84.

Dos Santos fought off a late challenge in the 400 hurdles to win in a personal-best 44.53.

Men’s results

200 - 1. Jereem Richards (Trinidad)19.86;1,500 - 1. Josh KERR (GBR) 3:34.51; 3,000 – 1. Andrew Coscoran (IRL) 8:17.56; 400 Hurdles – Alison Dos Santos (Brasil) 47.97; 100 - 1. Kenneth Bednarek (USA) 9.79; 400 – 1. Jacory Patterson (USA) 43.98; 800 – 1. Marco Arop (Canada)1:43.69; 110 Hurdles -1. Trey Cunningham (USA) 13.00; 100 Hurdles: 1. Trey Cunningham (USA)10.17; 400 Hurdles - 1. Alison Dos Santos (Brasil) 44.53; 5,000 - Grant Fisher (USA) 13:40.32; Kenny Bednarek (USA) 19.84.

Women’s results:

100 – 1. Melissa Jefferson (USA) 10.75; 400 – 1. Marileidy Paulino (DOM) 49.21; 5,000 Meters – 1. Agnes Jebet Ngetich (Ken)14:25.80; 100 Hurdles – 1. Masai Russell (USA)12.17; 100 - 1. Ackera Nugent (Jamaica) 11.09; 200 - 1. Gabrielle Thomas (USA) 21.95; 1,500 - 1. Freweyni Hailu (Ethiopia) 4:06.96; 400 Hurdles – 1. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (USA) 49.69; 800 – 1. Mary Moraa 1:59.51; 3,000 - Hirut Meshesha (Ethiopia) 8:22.72; 200 – 1. Marileidy Paulino (DR) 22.30;