Who, what and when information: Grand Slam Monitor Kingston

All the things it’s good to know concerning the first Grand Slam Monitor assembly in Jamaica

The inaugural Grand Slam Monitor meet kicks off this weekend (April 4-6) on the Nationwide Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica. Based by Olympic legend Michael Johnson, the league has attracted top-tier expertise, with athletes categorized as both “Racers” or “Challengers.”

These athletes are assigned to compete in one of many following classes: brief sprints (100m/200m), brief hurdles (100m hurdles or 110m hurdles/100m), lengthy sprints (200m/400m), lengthy hurdles (400m hurdles/400m), center distance (800m/1500m), or lengthy distance (3000m/5000m).

Every Slam occasion will consist of 4 Racers who’re contracted to the league’s 4 Slams: Kingston, Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles. They may go up in opposition to totally different Challengers throughout every Slam, who’re compensated with an look payment 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 in opposition to 48 challengers.

Right here’s a rundown of the athletes competing in Kingston and the main points of when and the place you’ll be able to watch the occasion.

Males’s Quick Sprints (100m/200m)

The brief sprints class is about to showcase an thrilling line-up, together with Olympic 200m silver medallist Kenny Bednarek and 100m bronze medallist Fred Kerley.

Among the many different contenders is Indirect Seville, who could have the benefit of racing on residence soil in Jamaica. After setting a private better of 9.82 within the 100m semi-finals on the Paris Olympic Video games — beating Noah Lyles — Seville suffered a groin damage through the closing and completed eighth. With this setback behind him, he can be desirous to show himself in his opening race this season.

Finishing the quartet of Racers is Zharnel Hughes, the British record-holder within the 100m and 200m. Whereas Hughes competes for Britain, he trains and lives in Jamaica, giving him home-turf benefit.

One other athlete to observe is Jamaican sprinter Ackeem Blake. Having beforehand defeated Fred Kerley on the Brussels Diamond League, Blake holds a private better of 9.89.

Racers: Kenny Bednarek, Fred Kerley, Indirect Seville, Zharnel Hughes

Challengers: Ackeem Blake, Terrence Jones, Courtney Lindsey, Joseph Fahnbulleh

Girls’s Quick Sprints (100m/200m)

The ladies’s dash occasions additionally consists of a number of Olympic medallists. Amongst them is USA’s Brittany Brown, who earned a bronze medal within the 200m on the Paris Olympics, ending behind Gabby Thomas and Julien Alfred. Brown, identified for her power within the 200m, holds a private better of 21.90 which she set through the US Olympic Trials in Eugene final yr.

Within the 100m, one of many high athletes to observe is Melissa Jefferson-Wood, who additionally claimed a bronze medal in Paris, this time within the 100m. With a private better of 10.80, the American is coached by Dennis Mitchell, who additionally coaches stars like Sha’Carri Richardson.

Nice Britain’s Daryll Neita is one other robust contender in each the 100m and 200m. Neita had a stable efficiency on the Paris Olympics, ending fourth within the 100m and fifth within the 200m and is understood for her consistency throughout each distances. Most lately, she has made a change in her setup, now working with Lance Brauman in Florida after beforehand being coached by Marco Airale.

Difficult these seasoned athletes can be up-and-coming stars like Jacious Sears from america, who has already confirmed herself with a private better of 10.77 seconds within the 100m and 22.45 seconds within the 200m. Sears lately ran a world-leading 7.02 within the 60m on the 2025 Millrose Video games.

Moreover, Jamaica’s Alana Reid, AW’s worldwide U20 athlete in 2024, could have the assist of a house crowd as she competes on the large stage.

Racers: Brittany Brown, Daryll Neita, Melissa Jefferson-Wood

Challengers: Tamara Clark, Alana Reid, Jacious Sears, Jodean Williams, Kemba Nelson

Males’s Lengthy Sprints (200m/400m)

All eyes can be on Nice Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith within the males’s lengthy sprints. Coming into 2024 with a private better of 44.26 within the 400m, which was additionally a European file, Hudson-Smith rapidly surpassed that mark a number of instances and ran a formidable 43.44 within the Olympic closing, the place he narrowly missed out on gold.

Nevertheless, Hudson-Smith is not only a menace within the 400m — he additionally excels within the 200m. In 2024, he set a private better of 20.34 seconds on the British Championships in Manchester, claiming his first-ever British title within the occasion. Competing alongside him can be Zandrion Barnes from Jamaica, who steps in to exchange Olympic champion Quincy Corridor after he withdrew.

An athlete anticipated to problem Hudson-Smith is Muzala Samukonga from Zambia, who beat Hudson-Smith to the 2022 Commonwealth 400m title and who took bronze within the 400m on the Paris Olympics with a private better of 43.74 seconds.

Racers: Muzala Samukonga, Jereem Richards, Matthew Hudson-Smith

Challengers: Vernon Norwood, Chris Bailey, Deandre Watkin, Busang Collen Kebinatshipi, Zandrion Barnes

Girls’s Lengthy Sprints (200m/400m)

The ladies’s lengthy sprints will function a star-studded line-up, led by Gabby Thomas. A 3-time Olympic gold medallist for Workforce USA, Thomas earned gold in Paris within the 200m, 4x100m, and 4x400m relays.

Alongside Thomas, the Racer’s embrace Marileidy Paulino from the Dominican Republic, a two-time Olympic 400m champion. Paulino made historical past in 2024 in Paris when she set an Olympic file with a shocking 48.17.

Additionally within the combine are world indoor 400m silver medallist Alexis Holmes from the USA and Jamaica’s nationwide 400m champion Nickisha Pryce.

One other notable identify within the 400m is Salwa Eid Naser, the 2019 world champion and 400m Olympic silver medallist. Naser lately ran a formidable 48.94 in Bayaguana, marking the quickest 400m ever in March.

Salwa Eid Naser runs 48.94 in first outside 400m this season

Difficult these high sprinters can be Nice Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith, who turned the world 200m champion in Doha six years in the past. Asher-Smith, who nonetheless holds the British file of 21.88 within the 200m, has additionally made strides within the 400m, lately enhancing her private finest to 52.31.

Racers: Gabby Thomas, Nickisha Pryce, Alexis Holmes, Marileidy Paulino, Salwa Eid Naser

Challengers: Dina Asher-Smith, Talitha Diggs, Stacey Ann Williams

Males’s Quick Hurdles (110m hurdles/100m)

The brief hurdles occasion will see USA’s Daniel Roberts main the cost. Roberts, an Olympic silver medallist and world bronze medallist within the 110m hurdles, has a private better of 12.96 within the hurdles and 10.45 within the 100m.

Additionally within the Racer class is Roberts’ USA team-mate, Freddie Crittenden, who completed sixth on the Paris Olympics. Alongside them is France’s Sasha Zhoya, who holds each the world under-18 and under-20 information within the 110m hurdles with an unbelievable 12.72.

In Kingston, they may face robust challenges from Jamaica’s Omar McLeod, the 2016 Olympic champion and 2017 world champion within the 110m hurdles, and Dylan Beard, the back-to-back Millrose Video games 60m hurdles champion.

Racers: Freddie Crittenden, Sasha Zhoya, Daniel Roberts

Challengers: Orlando Bennett, Omar McLeod, Cordell Tinch, Eric Edwards Jr., Dylan Beard

Girls’s Quick Hurdles (100m hurdles/100m)

The highest three medallists within the 100m hurdles from Paris – Masai Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn – will all compete as Racers throughout all 4 Slams.

In one of many closest races throughout the whole the Olympics, the trio had been separated by simply three hundredths of a second with Russell, Samba-Mayela and Camacho-Quinn working 12.33, 12.34 and 12.36 respectively. Russell claimed gold on her Olympic debut and have become the fourth American to face on the highest of the 100m hurdles podium this century.

Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent can be one other athlete to observe after securing her first senior international medal on the World Indoor Championships in March, ending third within the 60m hurdles in 7.74.

Racers: Ackera Nugent, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Masai Russell, Cyréna Samba-Mayela

Challengers: Danielle Williams, Amber Hughes, Denisha Cartwright, Nia Ali

Paris Olympics 100m hurdles podium (Getty)

Males’s Lengthy Hurdles (400m hurdles/400m)

The third quickest athlete within the historical past of the 400m hurdles occasion (46.29), Alison dos Santos, will make his mark throughout the hurdles and flat. The Brazillian picked up a second consecutive bronze medal within the 400m hurdles on the Paris Olympics, ending behind Rai Benjamin and Karsten Warholm.

Becoming a member of him consists of Clément Ducos from France who positioned fourth within the Olympic 400m hurdles closing. The 23-year-old recorded a time of 47.76 in Paris earlier than bettering his mark with a 47.42 on the Silesia Diamond League which noticed him go fourth on the European all-time listing.

America’s Caleb Dean and Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke add to the listing of Racers who can be challenged by the likes of CJ Allen – the US males’s nationwide record-holder over 400m hurdles indoors (48.88).

Racers: Ducos, Alison Dos Santos, Caleb Dean, Roshawn Clarke

Challengers: Malik James-King, CJ Allen, Chris Robinson, Assinie Wilson

Alison dos Santos (Getty)

Girls’s Lengthy Hurdles (400m hurdles/400m)

With regards to the ladies’s lengthy hurdles, all eyes will undoubtedly be on Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the world record-holder within the 400m hurdles with 50.37. The 2-time Olympic champion is a standout in each occasions as she was additionally the primary to join Grand Slam Monitor throughout its launch.

Her most up-to-date efficiency was on the 2024 Brussels Diamond League, the place she clocked 49.11 within the 400m – her private finest is 48.74.

Becoming a member of her within the Racer class is Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton, who will kick off her season in entrance of a house crowd. Clayton has a wealth of expertise, having earned bronze medals within the 400m hurdles at each the 2019 and 2023 World Championships. She additionally completed fifth within the 400m hurdles closing on the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Competing alongside Clayton can be America’s Jasmine Jones, who completed forward of her in Paris. Jones holds a private better of 52.29 within the 400m hurdles.

Racers: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Rushell Clayton, Jasmine Jones

Challengers: Shiann Salmon, Cathelijn Peeters, Andrenette Knight, Dalilah Muhammad, Cassandra Tate

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone (Getty)

Males’s Quick Distance (800m/1500m)

The boys’s short-distance class is shaping as much as be probably the most aggressive races of the Slam. We’ll see the total podium from the Olympic 1500m closing in Paris, the place Cole Hocker took gold, Josh Kerr grabbed silver and Yared Nuguse secured bronze.

Since then, Nuguse set an indoor mile world file of three:46.63 on the Millrose Video games in February. That file was short-lived, although, as Jakob Ingebrigtsen broke it simply 5 days later with 3:45.14. On the identical Millrose meet, Hocker got here shut however was out-kicked by Grant Fisher within the 3000m, with Fisher setting a world file of seven:22.91, whereas Hocker ran the second-fastest time ever, 7:23.14.

What’s going to be attention-grabbing is seeing how these three Olympic medallists carry out within the 800m, particularly with the Olympic 800m silver medallist Marco Arop additionally listed as a Racer. Arop holds a private finest of three:38.36 within the 1500m from 2023, so it’ll be enjoyable to see how he mixes it up with the opposite 1500m specialists.

Cole Hocker (Getty)

The Challengers for this occasion make it much more thrilling with Olympic champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi signing up, particularly after he got here so near breaking the 800m world file of 1:40.91 final yr. He was simply two tenths of a second off that mark on the Diamond League assembly in Lausanne in August 2024.

Alongside him is Bryce Hoppel, the seven-time US 800m champion, and Nice Britain’s Neil Gourley, the newly topped World Indoor 1500m silver medallist from Nanjing.

Racers: Cole Hocker, Josh Kerr, Yared Nuguse, Marco Arop

Challengers: Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Bryce Hoppel, Neil Gourley, Mohamed Attaoui

Emmanuel Wanyonyi and Marco Arop (Getty)

Girls’s Quick Distance (800m/1500m)

Within the ladies’s short-distance class, Australia’s Jess Hull is one to observe. She secured a silver medal within the 1500m on the 2024 Paris Olympics and has claimed 4 nationwide titles in Australia — two within the 1500m and two within the 5000m.

Mary Moraa may even be in motion, opening her season in Kingston. The Kenyan athlete took residence the bronze within the 800m on the 2024 Paris Olympics, the place Keely Hodgkinson claimed her first Olympic gold. The 2023 world champion has since bounced again with spectacular performances, together with a world finest 600m time of 1:21.63 on the ISTAF assembly in Berlin.

Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji is one other robust contender, contemporary off a stable efficiency on the World Indoor Championships the place she completed second within the 1500m with 3:59.30. She’ll be trying to proceed that momentum in Kingston, the place she’ll face stiff competitors from the likes of 2024 world indoor silver medallist Nikki Hiltz from the US.

Racers: Jess Hull, Nikki Hiltz, Diribe Welteji, Mary Moraa

Challengers: Sage Hurta-Klecker, Heather MacLean, Natoya Goule-Toppin, Susan Ejore

Mary Moraa (ISTAF Berlin)

Males’s Lengthy Distance (3000m/5000m)

Grant Fisher, contemporary off setting two world indoor information, will open his outside season as a Challenger. The Olympic bronze medallist made waves within the indoor season, first clocking 7:22.91 to win the thrilling 3000m race in opposition to 1500m Olympic champion Cole Hocker, breaking Lamecha Girma’s earlier file of seven:23.81. Then, Fisher took on a solo effort within the 5000m at Boston College, smashing Kenenisa Bekele’s long-standing file with a run of 12:44.09, surpassing the previous mark of 12:49.60.

Within the Olympic closing, Fisher completed simply behind Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who took gold, and Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi, who gained silver. The Kenyan can be trying to problem Fisher as soon as once more as he’ll be eyeing a robust efficiency in Kingston.

Including to the problem is Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet, a former world junior record-holder within the 5000m with 12:47.53. Gebrhiwet at the moment holds the Ethiopian nationwide file for the 5000m at 12:36.73 and has a 3000m private finest of seven:30.36, set in 2013.

Additionally becoming a member of the line-ups are America’s Cooper Teare and Ethiopia’s Telahun Haile Bekele, each bringing stable competitors.

Racers: Grant Fisher, Ronald Kwemoi, Hagos Gebrhiwet

Challengers: Cooper Teare, Thierry Ndikumwenayo, Charles Philibert-Thiboutot, Dylan Jacobs, Telahun Haile Bekele

Grant Fisher

Girls’s Lengthy Distance (3000m/5000m)

Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich, the ladies’s 10km world record-holder with 28:46, will face powerful competitors from Ethiopia’s Tsige Gebreselama within the ladies’s lengthy distance Slam. Ngetich has a robust observe file too, with private bests of 8:32.62 within the 3000m and 14:36.70 within the 5000m. Gebreselama, nevertheless, is even faster on paper, boasting instances of 14:18.76 within the 5000m and eight:24.40 within the 3000m.

Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye may even be a key contender. Taye claimed the bronze medal within the 3000m on the 2022 World Indoor Championships and held the mixed-gender world file for the 5km highway race from 2021 to 2024 with a time of 14:19. She additionally completed sixth within the 5000m on the Paris Olympics, and her type will make her a critical challenger to each Ngetich and Gebreselama.

Nice Britain’s Melissa Courtney-Bryant, contemporary off a silver medal within the ladies’s 3000m on the European Indoor Championships, may even be one to observe. Earlier this yr, she set a 3000m world indoor lead on the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold assembly in Boston, clocking a private better of 8:28.69. That point put her simply forward of American Elise Cranny, who may even be racing in Kingston.

Racers: Nozomi Tanaka, Tsige Gebreselama, Agnes Ngetich, Elise Cranny

Challengers: Hellen Ekalale, Whittni Morgan, Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Ejgayehu Taye

Agnes Ngetich (10K Valencia Ibercaja)

Timetable (GMT)

Friday April 4

23:42 – Girls’s 200m (Lengthy Sprints)

23:54 – Males’s 400m (Lengthy Sprints)

00:04 – Girls’s 3000m (Lengthy Distance)

00:22 – Girls’s 800m (Quick Distance)

00:34 – Males’s 400m Hurdles (Lengthy Hurdles)

00:46 – Girls’s 400m Hurdles (Lengthy Hurdles)

00:56 – Males’s 5000m (Lengthy Distance)

01:21 – Males’s 100m (Quick Sprints)

Saturday April 5

23:42 – Males’s 110m Hurdles (Quick Hurdles)

23:56 – Males’s 200m (Lengthy Sprints)

00:10 – Girls’s 1500m (Quick Distance)

00:25 – Girls’s 100m Hurdles (Quick Hurdles)

00:38 – Girls’s 100m (Quick Sprints)

00:52 – Males’s 1500m (Quick Distance)

01:07 – Males’s 200m (Quick Sprints)

01:21 – Girls’s 400m (Lengthy Sprints)

Sunday April 6

20:42 – Girls’s 100m Hurdles (Quick Hurdles)

20:54 – Males’s 400m (Lengthy Hurdles)

21:04 – Girls’s 5000m (Lengthy Distance)

21:29 – Males’s 100m (Quick Hurdles)

21:39 – Males’s 800m (Quick Distance)

21:49 – Males’s 3000m (Lengthy Distance)

22:08 – Girls’s 200m (Quick Sprints)

22:21 – Girls’s 400m Hurdles (Lengthy Hurdles)

Grand Slam Monitor can be accessible to observe within the UK and Eire on TNT Sports activities, whereas Eurosport will present the protection for audiences in Europe and Asia. For info on the best way to watch from different components of the world, click on right here.

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