Canada's Aaron Brown: Grand Slam Track brought platform, professionalism to sport

CTV News

14 hours ago

Aaron Brown crosses the finish line ahead of Brendon Rodney as they compete in the 200m finals at the Canadian Track and Field Olympic trials in Montreal, Sunday, June 30, 2024. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Christinne Muschi
It was meant to be quite the finale in the City of Stars this weekend.
Instead, the inaugural Grand Slam Track season came to a halt with the cancellation of its final leg in Los Angeles earlier in June.
The league became a talking point and a source of excitement for track athletes signed to Grand Slam Track, especially those from North America. It provided an opportunity for athletes to compete against the best without having to travel overseas.
Toronto sprinter Aaron Brown, who competed in the most recent event in Philadelphia, feels the league brought something greater to the sport for Canadians.
'For athletes in Canada or athletes in America, being able to just stay within the country or go to Jamaica somewhere on this similar time zone, you know, not having to go overseas it's a huge benefit,' he said.
'It allows us to have better performances too because you're not having a deal with such jet lag, ... you don't have to show up (to the meet) super early you can train a little bit longer and harder and be in your the comfort of your own home for a longer time.'
Michael Johnson, the founder and commissioner of Grand Slam Track, said the league is looking ahead to 2026 and beyond.
'Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league,' he said as part of a statement.
Brown says the opportunity is there for fans in North America to get used to the faces of the sport's stars that will be at the 2028 L.A. Olympics.
'I think meets like the Grand Slam are finally going to get us to that point where we can take advantage of it,' he said. 'Especially heading into L.A. 2028, that's a huge opportunity for people to get used to who the stars are going to be in L.A., get an early look at them, and be able to follow them into their, into the journey to that meet.
'Which is huge because it adds a narrative and incentive for you to pay attention. And so I just think that if track and field wants to have a professional league, this is the best way for them to do it. And, you know, I'm invested in their success.'
Seven-time Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse of Markham, Ont., is another one of Canada's stars to have competed in Grand Slam, in addition to 2023 800-metre world champion and 2024 Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop, who competed in both the 800 and 1,500 as a short-distance racer.
Arop stood out among the Canadian cohort, winning the 800 races in the three Grand Slam events held. Although he didn't fare as well in the 1,500, Arop was among the top point-getters in the short distance group, finishing no lower than second and being first at the Philadelphia event.
Competition aside, Brown said Grand Slam Track provided things that are not typically offered at other meets.
Brown said locally-sourced snacks were provided, on top of a drip check done to shoot athletes and display their outfits. Collab posts to helped athletes push each other's audiences.
He also said athletes got their own rooms for accomodations, were given per diems that were provided 'to go select the food ourselves,' and that the prize money was 'significantly more than any other meet that's available to the athletes.'
'I think at the very least, it gave us the blueprint of how a meet could be run and what's possible,' Brown said. 'Getting out of that myopic viewpoint that we have to follow the same model and do things that we've been doing for decades that has led to stagnation in the sport and not allow us to evolve and grow and adapt like all the other sports have.
'So, I think just showing that athletes can be at the forefront. We have stars in our sports, and the more support we get behind it, the bigger it's going to be.'
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.
Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press