Double Olympic gold medalist Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone closed out the first-ever Grand Slam Track meet in Kingston, Jamaica, with a dominant performance in the 400m. The 25-year-old American had already secured a win in the 400m hurdles an event in which she holds the world record on Friday. By claiming victory in both events, she topped the long hurdles category and took home the $100,000 (£77,610) grand prize.
The Grand Slam Track series, created by former U.S. sprinting legend Michael Johnson, is a fresh new format aiming to bring together top global athletes for four three-day events each year, offering major prize money and fan engagement.
Athletes compete in two events within a category over the course of three days, and their combined results decide the overall winners and prize recipients. The categories include:
Short Sprints (100m and 200m)
Short Hurdles (100m hurdles for women, 110m for men, plus 100m flat)
Long Sprints (200m and 400m)
Long Hurdles (400m hurdles and 400m flat)
Short Distance (800m and 1500m)
Long Distance (3000m and 5000m)
Each hurdles category features one hurdle event and one flat race.
McLaughlin-Levrone wasn’t the only American to sweep her category. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed the women’s short sprints crown with wins in both the 100m and 200m. On the men’s side, Brazil’s Alison dos Santos captured the long hurdles title after winning the 400m.
Other highlights included:
France’s Sasha Zhoya winning the men’s short hurdles
Jamaica’s Danielle Williams taking the women’s short hurdles
Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the Olympic 800m champion, winning the men’s short distance category by placing second in the 800m and first in the 1500m
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith topping the men’s long sprints with a win in the 200m and a second-place finish in the 400m
The next stop on the Grand Slam Track tour is scheduled for May 2–4 in Miami.
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