Latest news with #GrandSlamTrackPhiladelphia
Straits Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Grand Slam Track cancels final meet of 2025 debut season
FILE PHOTO: May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Alison Dos Santos (BRA), left, Caleb Dean (USA), center, and Trevor Bassitt (USA) run in the 400m hurdles during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images/File Photo REUTERS NEW YORK - Grand Slam Track cancelled its Los Angeles meet on Thursday as the organisers brought the debut season of the novel athletics circuit to an abrupt end after three events. The Michael Johnson-fronted track series lured in top talent with super-sized prize money but saw poor attendance at its kick-off meeting in Kingston, Jamaica, and later cut its third meet in Philadelphia from three to two days. "The decision to conclude the inaugural Grand Slam Track season is not taken lightly, but one rooted in a belief that we have successfully achieved the objectives we set out to in this pilot season," Johnson said in a statement. "As we've said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren't comfortable, but what's most important is the future and sustainability of the league. "The global economic landscape has shifted dramatically in the past year, and this business decision has been made to ensure our long-term stability ..." The economics of the deal with Drake Stadium in Los Angeles was the motivating factor in cancelling what was intended to be the final meet of the year, Grand Slam Track sources told Reuters. Organisers have offered full refunds to any fans who had bought tickets to the June 28-29 Los Angeles meeting and Johnson said the series would return in 2026. "Our attention is now on 2026, with our eyes set on continuing to deliver the best-in-class storytelling, content, and competition," the four-times Olympic champion added. "We are committed to calling Los Angeles home, and look forward to hosting a Slam in LA as part of the 2026 season." Grand Slam was announced ahead of the 2024 Paris Games amid mounting concerns over athlete pay, as World Athletics for the first time paid $50,000 to gold medal winners in a controversial move that bucked 128 years of Olympic tradition. With a whopping $12.6 million in total prize money across what was set to be four meets, Johnson's start-up caught the attention of track's established circuits, as the long-time standard-bearer Diamond League added more to its prize pot. Sprinters Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden were awarded the Grand Slam Track Racers of the Year, the statement added. Jefferson-Wooden, who like Bednarek was undefeated over the three meets, said she had no regrets about taking part. "Change is not always easy or accepted, and I'm happy that Michael Johnson found a way to take a leap of faith and build something for the future of our sport," she said. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
New York Post
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Gabby Thomas calls out ‘weirdo' heckler over ‘bragging' social media post
Olympic track and field gold medalist Gabby Thomas put a male spectator on blast after she said he yelled personal insults at her and followed her around at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Sunday. Thomas explained that she publicly called out the man because she saw him 'bragging' about heckling her on social media. 'I made Gabby lose by heckling her. And it made my parlay win,' the man wrote under the username 'Mr 100K a day' in response to a recap post by Thomas, who finished fourth in the 100-meter race at the Grand Slam Track meet, and second place in the 200-meter sprint on Sunday. 3 Gabby Thomas of the United States competes in the women's 200m on Day 1 of Grand Slam Track at Franklin Field in on May 31, 2025 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Getty Images The man included an image of a bet he supposedly made online and a snapshot of Thomas and the other runners at the starting line at Franklin Field. 'This grown man followed me around the track as I took pictures and signed autographs for fans (mostly children) shouting personal insults,' Thomas, 28, wrote in response. 'Anybody who enables him online is gross.' Thomas called the man 'a weirdo' while replying to fans. Thomas added that she 'wasn't even going to tweet about it but since he's bragging.' 'Honestly the heckling is tolerable, it's following me around the stadium that's wild,' she wrote in another post. The man denied Thomas' claims and called her a liar in a YouTube video posted Monday under the same username — adding that she tweeted about him 'for sympathy.' He also said he does not like Thomas and called her 'a Karen.' 3 Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA), left, defeats Gabby Thomas (USA) to win the women's 200m, 21.99 to 22.10, during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field on May 31, 2025. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images In the 11-minute video, he showed clips of him heckling Thomas and saying he wanted Melissa Jefferson-Wooden to win the 200m race. 'Gabby Thomas is scared I see it in her eyes,' the man yelled, before calling her a 'choke artist.' The man was also heard yelling, 'Melissa got married this year, got a Black husband, Gabby got a white guy,' referring to Thomas' fiancé, Spencer McManes, who is white. 3 Olympian Gabby Thomas and Spencer McManes are seen arriving to the Carolina Herrera fashion show during New York Fashion Week on September 9, 2024 in New York City. GC Images At one point, he said Thomas 'walked past me and she spoke to me and she said, 'Hey what're you doing here? You're just a heckler… She laughed, smiled and kept walking. That was the last time I saw Gabby.' Earlier this year, Thomas shared a PSA on TikTok and explained that she feared she was being stalked by a group of middle-aged men, who allegedly followed her to and from multiple cities in the United States recently. The U.S. sprinter made her Sports Illustrated Swimsuit debut in the magazine's 2025 issue in May.
NBC Sports
02-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Wilson to prioritize education, stay flexible
Quincy Wilson tells Nick Zaccardi why he wanted to see Grand Slam Track Philadelphia, whether he'd want to participate in the series in the future, what he discussed with Michael Johnson, what his future holds, and more.
The Star
01-06-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Athletics-Jefferson-Wood triumphs in 200m at Grand Slam Philadelphia meet
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) wins the women's 200m in 21.99 during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images (Reuters) -Olympic 100m bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wood clocked 21.99 seconds in the women's 200m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Saturday, edging Olympic 200m gold medallist Gabby Thomas at Franklin Field. Jefferson-Wood, who usually specialises in shorter sprints, said her 200m training paid off after a third-place finish in Miami earlier this month. "I've been training for it, I told myself what happened in Miami wasn't going to happen again," she said. Jamaica's Ackera Nugent won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.44 seconds, while Kenya's Agnes Jebet Ngetich claimed the 1500m title in 3:58.04. Dominican Marileidy Paulino recorded 49.12 seconds to win the women's 400m long hurdles, while Briton Matthew Hudson-Smith took the men's 400m event in 44.51. Canada's Marco Arop claimed victory in the men's 800m in 1:43.48 – his third win in the event at Grand Slam races. Arop, who won world championship gold in 2023 and Olympic silver in 2024, pulled away from American Josh Hoey, who finished second in 1:44.41, and is set to run the 1,500m on Sunday. "It felt great, the crowd, look at this! It's easy to run fast in a stadium like this so I had to put on a show for them," Arop told TNT Sports. Also in the men's events, Kenny Bednarek recorded 19.95 seconds for the 200m while Brazilian Alison dos Santos remained undefeated after winning the men's 400m hurdles in 48.11 seconds. Competitors take part in two races over 12 events, with overall points totals deciding group champions on Sunday. (Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City)
Straits Times
01-06-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Jefferson-Wood triumphs in 200m at Grand Slam Philadelphia meet
May 31, 2025; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA) wins the women's 200m in 21.99 during the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia at Franklin Field. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images REUTERS Olympic 100m bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wood clocked 21.99 seconds in the women's 200m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia on Saturday, edging Olympic 200m gold medallist Gabby Thomas at Franklin Field. Jefferson-Wood, who usually specialises in shorter sprints, said her 200m training paid off after a third-place finish in Miami earlier this month. "I've been training for it, I told myself what happened in Miami wasn't going to happen again," she said. Jamaica's Ackera Nugent won the women's 100m hurdles in 12.44 seconds, while Kenya's Agnes Jebet Ngetich claimed the 1500m title in 3:58.04. Dominican Marileidy Paulino recorded 49.12 seconds to win the women's 400m long hurdles, while Briton Matthew Hudson-Smith took the men's 400m event in 44.51. Canada's Marco Arop claimed victory in the men's 800m in 1:43.48 – his third win in the event at Grand Slam races. Arop, who won world championship gold in 2023 and Olympic silver in 2024, pulled away from American Josh Hoey, who finished second in 1:44.41, and is set to run the 1,500m on Sunday. "It felt great, the crowd, look at this! It's easy to run fast in a stadium like this so I had to put on a show for them," Arop told TNT Sports. Also in the men's events, Kenny Bednarek recorded 19.95 seconds for the 200m while Brazilian Alison dos Santos remained undefeated after winning the men's 400m hurdles in 48.11 seconds. Competitors take part in two races over 12 events, with overall points totals deciding group champions on Sunday. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
