Paris (AFP) – US sprint great Michael Johnson on Monday announced that Kingston, Jamaica, will host the inaugural Grand Slam Track competition next April. Kingston — home of retired Jamaican sprint legend Usain Bolt — joins Los Angeles, which had already been announced, with the other two 2025 locations to be announced later this week. Johnson’s competition will feature four annual events and has a total of $12.6 million (11.8m euros) in prize money across the events.
“We are thrilled to be bringing Grand Slam Track to Kingston,” said four-time Olympic gold medallist Johnson, 57, the league’s founder and Commissioner. “Jamaica has such a strong history in this sport. The talent and the love for the sport here make it a perfect fit for what we’re building. It’s going to be an incredible event, and we’re proud to have Kingston as one of our four Slams in our inaugural season to kick this whole thing off.”
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The Kingston Slam will be held at the National Stadium at Independence Park from April 4-6. “We are proud and excited that Kingston has been selected to host the very first Grand Slam Track event,” said Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). “As the governing body for the sport, we see this as a testament to our past and present athletes, whose achievements and legacy have established Jamaica as the track capital of the world.”
Grand Slam Track plans to sign 48 athletes, known as “GST Racers” to contracts, then to use appearance fees to bring another 48 athletes — “GST Challengers” — to each meet. “I accomplished everything you dream about,” said Johnson in a video accompanying the announcement. “But I never got to face my most bitter rival under the lights four times every year, real money on the line. That’s probably why you don’t even know his name.”
The Kingston meet takes place a few weeks before the first Diamond League next season, which is in Xiamen, China, on April 26.
© 2024 AFP
