© Copyright – 2025 – Athletics Illustrated
The Grand Slam Track series debut is taking place this weekend in Kingston, Jamaica (from April 4–6). The meet is delivering on the promised performances. The three-day meeting has attracted international athletes, all competing for spring efforts to set up their season for the Nanjing World Athletics Championships. Plus, there is a shot at the $100,000 prize for the best combined results.
Kenny Bednarek
In the men’s 100-metre sprint, American Kenny Bednarek came back from a slow start to win in 10.07. He just nipped Jamaica’s Oblique Seville in 10.08 in a photo finish. Zharnel Hughes and Ackeem Blake both clocked 10.13, with Hughes edging it for third.
Bednarek said, “My starts have improved, but it didn’t show today. Still, a win is a win.”
Bedarek’s best is 9.87 from June 2024. He also ran a 9.82 on the same day however, the performance was deemed wind-aided. Bednarek is more of a 200m specialist with two Olympic and one World Championships silver medals. He has a 19.57 personal best in the event from the Zurich Diamond League meet in September 2024.
Sydney Mclaughlin-Levrone
Olympic champion and world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opened her season with a dominating 52.76 win. This is the world-leading time. Dalilah Muhammad took second in 54.59. Jamaica’s Rushell Clayton finished third in 55.02. McLaughlin-Levrone leads the race for the $100,000 prize for combined 400m and 400m hurdles results.
McLaughlin-Levrone said, “The first race of the season always hurts, but the crowd’s energy was electrifying. That helped me run fast.”
The 25-year-old holds the 400m hurdles world record at 50.37. She is a four-time Olympic gold medallist and three-time World Championships gold medallist from Tokyo and France. The medals came in both the 400mh and 4 x 400m Relays.
Alsison Dos Santos
World champion Alison Dos Santos took the win in a world-leading time of 47.61. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke, the world U20 record holder, finished second in 48.20. NCAA champion Caleb Dean took third in 48.59.
The 24-year-old Brazilian record holder said, “It was an amazing race. I’m pretty happy with the win and looking forward to the 400-metre on Sunday. Clocking 47.61 to start the season is a great sign.”
His 46.29 is also the South American “area record.” He is a two-time Olympic bronze medallist in the envent.
Gabby Thomas
Twenty-eight-year-old American Gabby Thomas, a triple Olympic medallist, won the 200m in the time of 22.62. Marileidy Paulino, Olympic 400m champion, was second in 22.93, ahead of 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain with her 22.96 and Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, who stopped the clock at 22.99.
Thomas said, “The stakes at these meets are high. Normally, early-season meets are about shaking off rust, but here, the competition and prize money make it intense—and that’s great for our sport.”
She has a personal best of 21.60. She won Olympic gold in the event in Paris 2024.
Grant Fisher
Twenty-eight-year-old Grant Fisher closed with a hard-sprinting 51.60 final lap to win the tactical 12.5-lap race in 14:39.14. Cooper Teare finished in 14:39.31, while Dylan Jacobs clocked in at 14:39.56 for third.
Fisher said, “We were jogging most of the race, so I was fresh at the end. I felt confident. Otherwise, I would have taken it out earlier.”
In February this year, Fisher ran 12:44.09 indoors. In 2022, he set the American record in the 10,000m at 26:33.84. He won bronze in both the 5000m and 10,000m events at the Paris Olympic Games in 2024.
