Grand Slam Monitor solutions your questions

Director of Athletes and Racing at Grand Slam reveals all in regards to the new league

As Michael Johnson’s new observe league approaches, pleasure is constructing for the primary Slam, which is able to kick off in Kingston, Jamaica, from April 4-6. To get a greater understanding of what this league has to supply, we reached out to AW readers to assemble their burning questions in regards to the occasion that guarantees to revolutionize the game of observe and subject.

What we already know is that athletes at Grand Slam Monitor are labeled as both Racers and Challengers and are assigned to compete in one of many following classes: quick sprints (100m/200m), quick hurdles (100m hurdles or 110m hurdles/100m), lengthy sprints (200m/400m), lengthy hurdles (400H/400m), center distance (800m/1500m), or lengthy distance (3000m/5000m).

Every Slam occasion will showcase consist of 4 Racers who’re contracted to the league’s 4 Slams: Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. They’ll go up towards totally different Challengers throughout every Slam, who’re compensated with an look charge, and can compete for full prize cash.

The winner of every Slam group will take residence $100,000 in prize cash and the eighth place competitor will earn $10,000.

A complete of 96 athletes will compete within the league, with 48 Grand Slam Monitor Racers, who collectively earned 34 Olympic medals on the Paris 2024 Video games, going through off towards 48 challengers.

To dive deeper into what followers can anticipate, we sat down with Kyle Merber, a former middle-distance runner and the Director of Racing and Athletes for Grand Slam Monitor and requested him a variety of questions requested by our AW followers throughout social media platforms.

How had been the occasions chosen?

Loads of issues went into it previous to them being finalized. However I feel finally the format clearly values being the quickest, proper? That’s a very powerful factor but additionally having a variety and having the ability to carry out constantly throughout a number of occasions. I feel the mixture of getting two race distances supplies just a little bit extra jeopardy for the racers.

I feel the mixture of getting two occasions creates intriguing match-ups, issues that perhaps followers haven’t essentially seen earlier than and finally sparks extra debate and dialog amongst the followers.

Can a Challenger compete in a number of slams? 

There is no such thing as a official rule saying {that a} challenger can’t compete in a couple of Slam. I feel for those who preserve profitable, you then’re welcome to maintain coming again and will definitely be invited.

I feel from my philosophy standpoint is that we do need to see a story of Challengers throughout all the season. A very robust level within the format is having that chance to usher in those that are racing effectively, and the up and coming or the brand new rivalries and simply seeing one thing totally different every day out. We’ll see quite a lot of contemporary faces however there’s definitely some Challengers I already know which might be going to be constantly there.

What did you search for when choosing Challengers?

How briskly are you? That’s definitely necessary.

It’s private bests, it’s medals, it’s rivalries, it’s momentum. The most necessary factor is who the followers need to see and we’re finally attempting to place an excellent product out on the observe. Agents suggest their athletes to us and we take into account and how one can put collectively the most effective subject potential.

What occurs if a Racer/Challenger will get injured mid season?

The Racers are dedicated contractually to do all 4 Slams however in fact, as is nature within the sport, there might be hiccups alongside the way in which. If that does occur, then we merely add an additional Challenger. So, you’d have 5 Challengers versus 4. If somebody will get damage two days earlier than then we’ll do our best possible to all the time have an alternate Challenger able to go, to attempt to fill each lane potential.

If an athlete will get injured, say within the first race and isn’t obtainable to do the second, we’re not going to power somebody to step on the market and limp by way of a race. We received’t essentially fill that lane if it’s forward of the second race within the weekend.

Can athletes qualify as Challengers midway by way of the Slam season?

Yeah, in fact. I feel notably in Kingston, it’s early within the yr so we’re going to have quite a lot of Challengers who’re being chosen primarily based off of their efficiency final yr.

Then you might have others that we’ve seen already come out through the indoor season and run tremendous effectively and instantly begin the yr off with a bang. However Philadelphia and Los Angeles Slams are so far-off. It’s one thing that we’ve heard quite a lot of athletes already discuss as being considered one of their targets this season is to run effectively early sufficient to finally be capable of attend a Slam and compete.

Will there be a brand new number of Challengers yearly?

There is no such thing as a particular pool. There may be definitely a depth chart and there’s quite a lot of scouting concerned of who’s working effectively. I pour by way of a lot of race outcomes and I additionally suppose a very necessary factor is watching the races because you may see the instances on paper, however the way in which issues really play out tells you a little bit of a narrative as effectively.

Yearly in each Slam might be an entire new contemporary slate and an alternative for athletes to come back in and be Challengers. I really suppose a actually thrilling prospect is the chance to introduce sure opponents to the fan base of the game by way of Grand Slam Monitor.

Do Challengers receives a commission and in that case, how a lot?

All challengers receives a commission and so they receives a commission the identical quantity throughout the board. They all obtain $2000 as an look charge, with eight athletes within the subject and eighth place being given $10,000 so finally it’s a assured $12,000. Most athletes, once they’re stepping on the road, aren’t fascinated with coming in eighth place, they’re in all probability fascinated with that $100,000 first prize and all Challengers, in fact, have that chance to win.

Racers are paid a base compensation primarily based on their worth that’s established at the beginning of the season. 

Will Grand Slam Monitor ever come to the UK?

It’s in all probability a greater query for our commissioner [Michael Johnson] than myself, however given the superb fandom within the UK and the help that we’ve seen constantly I feel it’s an excellent potential location. However that’s going to be MJ’s final determination.

The place will or not it’s broadcasted for UK followers to look at?

UK viewers are going to have the ability to watch on TNT sports activities, which we simply introduced and are actually excited. It’s such an necessary factor, notably within the first yr, to make it accessible and having the chance for followers to have the ability to really watch.

Grand Slam Monitor to air on Eurosport and TNT Sports activities

Are there any plans to usher in every other occasions sooner or later?

There aren’t any instant plans. There are many enjoyable and totally different combos to theorize a fewnd to have a enjoyable chat with on the bar with your folks however proper now we’re centered on the present format and occasions as structured.

Was there a purpose to host 4 Slams, did you take into account every other quantity?

You do see that it really works very well in tennis and golf. I feel it’s a very good beginning level and notably for our Racers who’ve by no means needed to commit to such a sequence of meets one after one other. It’s one thing that they had been excited to do and that it’s one thing that we’ve heard constantly from our Racers.

It’s very nice to know your schedule at the beginning of the season and I do know the coaches actually wish to plan backwards.

Would you take into account introducing greater than 4 Slams sooner or later?

There’s undoubtedly conversations and the potential to someday increase however proper now it’s actually simply heads down and centered on placing on 4 nice meets this yr.

How will the league propel the game and appeal to new viewers?

We all know the game already has an enormous fan base, proper? We see it each single Olympic cycle, each 4 years and I feel the objective of Grand Slam Monitor is to primarily knock down a few of these boundaries of these followers who solely come each 4 years and attempt to seize their consideration in between a bit extra.

That begins with making observe extra accessible for followers, each by way of understanding how and when and the place to look at. Additionally, having the ability to assure who’s going to be there and having the most effective athletes dedicated to race one another frequently is a large unlock for us.

It builds quite a lot of intriguing rivalries and matchups that I feel finally will make present followers very glad and proceed to usher in those who solely come each 4 years. The sport is so usually loved in retrospect, you see the outcomes and you then return and rewatch the race after having already heard what’s going to occur. I feel we’d like to have the ability to have the followers benefit from the pleasure of the game in actual time, watching it unfold stay.

Will we see evaluation and athlete interviews all through the TV protection?

Yeah, undoubtedly. I’m tremendous dedicated to not solely having nice races showcased, however offering an entertaining TV product. One of the most important benefits of getting Grand Slam Monitor on this format is to have entry to the athletes and the data that we are able to present to the manufacturing facet.

An enormous facet of what we’re doing is we have contractual obligations of athletes to make themselves obtainable for behind the scenes, storytelling and interviews, and to offer followers watching at residence a bit extra context about who they’re and what they’re watching and due to this fact giving them higher rooting curiosity. 

Will athletes have walkout songs?

Basically, music was tremendous necessary to the league and creating the setting of the native cultures of the place every Slam is positioned. We undoubtedly have some cool ways in which we’re going to combine it into the occasion. You’ll need to tune in or come watch to see, however it’s going to be enjoyable.

Why did you resolve on the 800m/1500m Slam as an alternative of 400m/800m?

The 800m/1500m is a extra conventional double. I can consider quite a lot of nice British athletes that had been definitely good at each the 800m and the 1500m.

It doesn’t matter what occasion mixture is throughout the board, it’d really feel prefer it’s the proper match for one athlete and possibly not for one more. I suppose the 800m/1500m might be the occasion that we’ve seen essentially the most chatter about on-line.

It brings collectively such a novel variety of expertise and you see matchups once more that you’d by no means see. We’re seeing prime athletes conflict that don’t line up versus each other ever. Particularly in Kingston, we’ve got one, two, three within the 1500m after which you might have introduced already one, two, 4 from the Paris 800m. So there’s quite a lot of curiosity.

We’re seeing quite a lot of athletes who don’t also have a 1500m private greatest to their title who’re going to now have one in a month. I say this as a former 1500m runner, for the the 800m, the 1500m guys are going to have the ability to run lots quicker than I feel folks understand.

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