Josh Kerr lands huge payday as Team GB athletes bank £225,000
Several Team GB athletes earned a hugely impressive payday at the Philadelphia Slam as part of the Grand Slam Track season at the weekend, including Matthew Hudson-Smith and Josh Kerr
Several Team GB stars pocketed hefty pay cheques at the Philadelphia Slam, which is part of the Grand Slam Track tournament masterminded by sprinting legend Michael Johnson. The competition format pits top track athletes against each other in two disciplines over a weekend, such as 100m and 200m sprints, across one of 12 combined race categories.
The inaugural slam kicked off in Kingston, Jamaica, in April before moving to Miami last month. However, it was Philadelphia that proved the most profitable for British athletes.
Despite not competing under the Team GB banner, Josh Kerr got his own back on Cole Hocker for his Paris Games defeat, pipping the American to the post by 0.07 seconds in the men's 1500m race.
The 27-year-old relished his victory and bagged a cool $50K (£37k) for coming second overall in the short distance category, following his fifth-place finish in the 800m event. Fellow Brit Elliot Giles pocketed $10k (£7.4k) for his efforts in the same group.
But the standout Team GB athlete in Philadelphia was Matthew Hudson-Smith, who topped the men's long sprints group for the second time in three Grand Slam Track events. The 400m Olympic silver medallist triumphed in his specialist discipline and came fifth in the 200m to take home the $100k (£74k) grand prize.
Zharnell Hughes bagged a cool $50k (£37k) runner-up prize in the short sprints category. The 29-year-old sprinter secured third place in the men's 100m and narrowly missed out on first place in the 200m, losing to American speedster Kenny Bednarek.
Georgia Hunter Bell had a lucrative day among the British women at the Philadelphia meet. The Olympic bronze medallist nabbed second place in the women's 800m and fourth in the 1500m, securing an impressive $30k (£22.1k) payday for her efforts.
Dina Asher-Smith wasn't far behind, taking home slightly less than Bell from the women's short sprints group. Her fifth-place finish in the 100m and fourth in the 200m saw her walk away with a tidy $25k (£18.4k).
Twin athletes Laviai and Lina Nielsen also had a profitable weekend, earning a combined $40k (£29.5k). Lina Nielsen triumphed in the 400m race and placed sixth in the 400m hurdles, netting herself $30k (£22.1k). Meanwhile, sister Laviai competed in the 200m and 400m sprints, earning $10k (£7.4k) after finishing eighth in her category.
Despite only Hudson-Smith clinching an overall victory, it was a marked improvement on what British athletes had previously earned from the last two Grand Slam Track events. The total earnings for the Brits from the Philadelphia Slam amounted to a whopping $305k (£225k).
This was a significant increase from their previous record of $222.5k (£164k) in Kingston. The inaugural event in April saw British athletes shine, with Hudson-Smith clinching his first long sprints victory and Hughes once again securing second place in the short sprints.
The Team GB athletes earned slightly less during last month's event in Miami, taking home $212.5k (£156k). However, a huge chunk of that prize pot included Kerr's $100k (£74k) winnings.
The Grand Slam Track season will conclude at the Drake Stadium in Los Angeles, with the event being held from June 27 to 29. At the end of the final meet, one male and one female athlete will be crowned the Racer of the Year based on their cumulative points totals.
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