Grand Slam Track™, the global home of professional track competition, launched by four-time Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced the first group of Challengers signed to compete in the Philadelphia Slam, May 30–June 1, at Franklin Field. Following the incredibly successful second Slam in Miami, which saw Grand Slam Track™ sell out two of three days, the league now turns its attention to Philadelphia, where it will crown 12 more Slam Champions – with each taking home $100,000. 

Grand Slam Track™ is excited to announce that at the Philadelphia Slam, Racer Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone will compete in the Women’s Short Hurdles Race Group. This will be the first time McLaughlin-Levrone has ever run the 100m professionally. This Race Group will also see the first ever face-off between three Slam Champions. Miami Slam Champion Ackera Nugent, and two-time Slam Champion McLaughlin-Levrone, will be joined by returning Challenger and Kingston Slam Champion Danielle Williams, all battling for glory and the $100,000 prize. Also announced as a Challenger for this group is Ditaji Kambundji, the Swiss superstar who will make her Grand Slam Track™ debut in Philadelphia.

- Danielle Williams, Jamaica, 2025 Kingston Slam Champion, 2015 & 2023 World Championships Gold Medalist - 100mH

- Ditaji Kambundji, Switzerland, 2025 World Indoor Championships Silver Medalist - 60mH, 

2024 European Championships Silver Medalist - 100mH

The Philadelphia Slam will also see an epic rematch from Miami, with Gabby Thomas once again competing in the Women’s Short Sprints Race Group, and facing off against her rival and two-time Slam Champion Melissa Jefferson-Wooden. Jefferson-Wooden scored 18 pts to Thomas’ 17 to clinch the Miami Slam Championship. Thomas will look for revenge in Philadelphia and another chance to win her second Slam Championship, following her triumph in the Women’s Long Sprints Race Group in Kingston.

The league is also announcing the four Challengers in the Men’s Short Hurdles Race Group. This lineup features the current world leader and a returning Slam Champion, plus two global superstars representing their nations in Grand Slam Track for the first time:

- Jakub Szymański, Poland, 2025 European Indoor Championships Gold Medalist - 60mH

- Lorenzo Simonelli, Italy, 2024 European Championships Gold Medalist - 110mH & 4x100m relay, 2024 World Indoor Championships Silver Medalist - 60mH

- Cordell Tinch, USA, 2025 110mH World Leader (12.87)

- Trey Cunningham, USA, 2025 Miami Slam Champion, 2022 World Championships Silver Medalist - 110mH

Tickets to see these Racers & Challengers compete are on sale NOW at 

Short Hurdles Race Groups come into focus, plus Philadelphia Race Groups announced for Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas

Six Challengers Announced for Philadelphia Slam

Women's 100 Meters Hurdles - 5:42 pm - (Race Group: Women's Short Hurdles)

2	Maribel Vanessa CAICEDO - ECU - Challenger

5 Cyréna SAMBA-MAYELA - FRA - Adidas - Racer

7 Kendra HARRISON - USA - Adidas - Challenger

Men's 1500 Meters - 5:51 pm - (Race Group: Men's Short Distance)

5 Kethobogile HAINGURA - BOT - Nike - Challenger

7 Tshepo TSHITE - RSA - Nike - Challenger

8 Timothy CHERUIYOT - KEN - Nike - Challenger

Men's 400 Meters Hurdles - 6:06 pm - (Race Group: Men's Long Hurdles)

1 Ludvy VAILLANT - FRA - Adidas - Challenger

3 Trevor BASSITT - USA - Adidas - Challenger

4 Alison DOS SANTOS - BRA - Adidas - Racer

7 Malik JAMES-KING - JAM - Puma - Challenger

Women's 5000 Meters - 6:16 pm - (Race Group: Women's Long Distance)

2 Agnes Jebet NGETICH - KEN - Adidas - Racer

3 Hirut MESHESHA - ETH - Nike - Challenger

5 Aynadis MEBRATU - ETH - Nike - Challenger

6 Janeth CHEPNGETICH - KEN - Adidas - Challenger

7 Medina EISA - ETH - Adidas - Challenger

8 Nozomi TANAKA - JPN - New Balance - Racer

Men's 200 Meters - 6:40 pm - (Race Group: Men's Long Sprints)

1 Jacory PATTERSON - USA - Tracksmith - Challenger

3 Alexander OGANDO - DOM - Adidas - Challenger

4 Matthew HUDSON-SMITH - GBR - Puma - Racer

7 Muzala SAMUKONGA - ZAM - Adidas - Racer

Women's 100 Meters - 6:52 pm - (Race Group: Women's Short Sprints)

2 Favour OFILI - NGR - Adidas - Challenger

4 Melissa JEFFERSON-WOODEN - USA - Nike - Racer

6 Gabby THOMAS - USA - New Balance - Racer

7 Tamari DAVIS - USA - Adidas - Challenger

8 Jacious SEARS - USA - Nike - Challenger

Men's 3000 Meters - 7:01 pm - (Race Group: Men's Long Distance)

7 Andrew COSCORAN - IRL - New Balance - Challenger

Women's 400 Meters - 7:21 pm - (Race Group: Women's Long Sprints)

2 Stacey Ann WILLIAMS - JAM - Puma - Challenger

6 Marileidy PAULINO - DOM - Adidas - Racer

8 Kendall ELLIS - USA - New Balance - Challenger

Women's 400 Meters Hurdles - 5:42 pm - (Race Group: Women's Long Hurdles)

2 Naomi VAN DEN BROECK - BEL - Challenger

Grand Slam Track™ Miami Official Start Lists

Grand Slam Track™ Releases Official Miami Start Lists With Lane Assignments

 (April 24, 2024) - Grand Slam Track™, the global home of professional track competition launched by four-time Olympic Champion Michael Johnson, today officially announced the full field of 96 Racers & Challengers who will compete in the Miami Slam - the second event in the league’s inaugural season. The Slam will take place at Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Florida, from May 2–4. 

The group of Challengers announced today is headlined by international superstars such as Isabella Whittaker, Alaysha Johnson, Freweyni Hailu, Peter Bol, Trey Cunningham, and Kendall Ellis. Signed Racers Devon Allen, Clément Ducos, Jasmine Jones, and Luis Grijalva, plus previously announced Challenger Claudia Hollingsworth, will miss the Miami Slam due to injuries. An additional Challenger has been added to each of their Race Groups as a result. The competitors collectively represent a total of 24 different countries, exemplifying Grand Slam Track™’s reach as a global league.

“We’re delighted to announce the full field of competitors for the Miami Slam,” said Michael Johnson, the league’s founder and Commissioner. “Coming off the back of the Kingston Slam, our Sr. Director of Racing Kyle Merber has been hard at work continuing to sign the fastest humans on the planet as Challengers. They’re all excited to compete in Grand Slam Track™, knowing how big the honor of being a Slam Champion is. These competitors will put on a festival of speed that I know will entertain fans around the world, just like we did in Kingston. We’re excited to kick off our first Slam on U.S. soil, and I look forward to seeing all of our fans down there in South Florida.”

Grand Slam Track™ is also excited to welcome 2020 Olympic 400m Champion Steven Gardiner as a newly-signed Racer for the remainder of the 2025 season. The Bahamian won the gold medal at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, and was the 400m World Champion at the 2019 World Championships in Doha. He was also an Olympic bronze medalist in the 4x400m relay at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Games and a gold medalist in the 4x400m mixed relay at the 2017 World Relays in Nassau. Replacing Quincy Hall as a Racer this season, Gardiner will be competing as part of the Men’s Long Sprints Race Group, facing off against Matthew Hudson-Smith, Muzala Samukonga, and Jereem Richards.

“I’m delighted to announce I’m joining Grand Slam Track as a Racer for the remainder of the 2025 season,” said Steven Gardiner. “I watched the Kingston Slam and knew I had to be a part of it.  The innovations to the sport and feedback from the athletes who participated makes me grateful for the opportunity to compete against the fastest men in the world on a regular basis. I can’t wait to see everybody down in Miami and, as usual, give my very best.”

Grand Slam Track™’s inaugural Slam took place in Kingston, Jamaica, earlier this spring. More than $3m in prize money was won by competitors. Three Slams remain in the 2025 season, taking place in Miami, May 2–4, Philadelphia, May 30–June 1, and Los Angeles, June 27–29. Grand Slam Track™’s roster of talent includes Gabby Thomas, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Kenny Bednarek, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Alison dos Santos, Matthew Hudson-Smith, & Sasha Zhoya, all of whom were Slam Champions and took home $100,000 each from Kingston.

Tickets for the Miami Slam can be purchased 

 Tickets for the Philadelphia and Los Angeles Slams are also available 

Grand Slam Track™ is being broadcast in 189 countries and territories worldwide. For information on where to watch, 

 For further information, please follow @GrandSlamTrack on all social media platforms, and visit 

 (® denotes Racer; © denotes Challenger, newly announced names in

 Kenny Bednarek ®, Fred Kerley ®, Oblique Seville ®, Zharnel Hughes ®, Andre De Grasse ©, 

 Gabby Thomas ®, Brittany Brown ®, Daryll Neita ®, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden ®, 

 Matthew Hudson-Smith ®, Muzala Samukonga ®, 

 Freddie Crittenden ®, Sasha Zhoya ®, Daniel Roberts ®, 

 Alison dos Santos ®, Caleb Dean ®, Roshawn Clarke ®, 

 Jess Hull ®, Nikki Hiltz ®, Diribe Welteji ®, Mary Moraa ®, 

 Grant Fisher ®, Ronald Kwemoi ®, Hagos Gebrhiwet ®, 

Nozomi Tanaka ®, Tsige Gebreselama ®, Agnes Ngetich ®, Elise Cranny ®, 

*All times listed are in local time in Miami. The schedule is subject to change. 

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Grand Slam Track™ is the global home of elite track competition founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. The league is redefining the landscape of track with a focus on head-to-head competition between the fastest humans on the planet: fostering rivalries, celebrating racing, and putting fans first. The league features a roster of 48 Racers signed to compete in four annual Slams and includes superstars like Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Quincy Hall, Josh Kerr, Marileidy Paulino, and many more. These Racers compete against 48 Challengers, who vary per Slam; each Slam features the largest and deepest prize purse in the history of the sport. The inaugural Grand Slam Track™ season in 2025 sees Slams take place in Kingston, Jamaica; Miami; Philadelphia; and Los Angeles. For more information, visit grandslamtrack.com.

Born in Dallas, Texas, Michael Johnson is a Hall of Fame track and field star, universally recognized as one of the greatest sprinters of all time. He won four Olympic gold medals and eight World Championships across his career, and held world and Olympic records in both the 200m and 400m races. At the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Johnson became the first and only male athlete to win the Gold medal in both the 200m and 400m at the same Olympics. Since retiring from active competition, Johnson has become a serial entrepreneur and investor, as well as highly sought after performance mindset speaker and an award winning television commentator. Johnson has been a pundit for the BBC’s coverage of every Olympics Games since Athens 2004, and remains a key voice on, and advocate for the sport. Johnson was inducted into the United States Track and Field Hall of Fame in 2004.

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