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• Grand Slam Track™ selects Kingston as host city for inaugural 2025 Slam Event

  Kingston, Jamaica, a city with a storied history in track and field, has been chosen to host the inaugural Grand Slam Track™ event in 2025. Announced by the league’s founder and Commissioner, four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, Kingston joins Los Angeles as the second host city for the new league’s debut season, with two additional cities to be revealed soon. The Kingston Slam is set to take place at the National Stadium at Independence Park from April 4-6, 2025.

   “We are thrilled to be bringing Grand Slam Track™ to Kingston,” Johnson said. “Jamaica has such a strong history in this sport. The talent and the love for track here make it a perfect fit for what we’re building. It’s going to be an incredible event, and we’re proud to have Kingston as one of our four Slams in our inaugural season to kick this whole thing off.”

   The selection of Kingston as a host city highlights Jamaica’s central role in global track and field. Hon. Olivia Grange, Jamaica’s Minister of Culture, Gender, Entertainment & Sports, expressed her excitement about the announcement, calling it “a chance for us to be part of something huge, bringing top athletes to our track and helping the sport grow in a new and exciting way.” Garth Gayle, President of the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA), emphasized the significance of the event, saying it is “a testament to our past and present athletes, whose achievements and legacy have established Jamaica as the track capital of the world.”

   The event will bring together some of the biggest names in track and field, including Jamaican talents like Ackera Nugent and Rushell Clayton, as well as global stars such as U.S. 400m champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, sprinters Fred Kerley and Kenny Bednarek, hurdler Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, and British middle-distance runner Josh Kerr. Fans in Kingston will also have the chance to watch rising stars like Quincy Hall, Masai Russell, and middle-distance sensation Yared Nuguse. This impressive roster of Racers, who will compete across four Slam events, was selected based on a combination of skill and the potential to deliver head-to-head matchups that promise excitement and drama.

   Athletes in the Grand Slam Track™ roster will race in two events per Slam, competing in categories from sprints and hurdles to middle-distance and long-distance events. The league has placed an emphasis on direct competition, with no pacers or pacing lights, ensuring that every race is a true contest. Racers will wear their own customized kits, allowing athletes and their sponsors creative freedom in how they present themselves on the track.

   Tickets for the Kingston Slam will go on sale on Friday, December 6, at 10 a.m. local time in Jamaica. For more information on Grand Slam Track™ events and athlete lineups, fans can visit grandslamtrack.com.

   

   

   

• Jamaica track and field coaches to be issued two-year licenses starting January 2025

  Beginning January 1, 2025, track and field coaches in Jamaica will need a two-year renewable license to continue practicing, as per the new regulations set by the Jamaica Track and Field Coaches Association (JATAFCA) in collaboration with the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA). This licensing shift aligns with changes by World Athletics, which now requires coaches' certification to be renewed every two years based on evidence of continued education.

  The new regulations were outlined at a recent JATAFCA meeting, where Ralph Mouchbahani from the World Athletics Coaching Education Department explained the changes in the Coaches Education and Certification System. Mouchbahani clarified that all World Athletics certifications, previously valid indefinitely, will now expire after two years. “All certifications of World Athletics are not valid for a lifetime anymore. They will need to be renewed after two years to maintain their validity,” he said.

  Garth Gayle, President of the JAAA, welcomed the updates and expressed strong support for this structured approach to coaching. Speaking at the meeting, Gayle confirmed that the JAAA and JATAFCA have agreed to give the Coaches Association administrative responsibility for the Coaches Education Program. “The new program is about making you better individuals to produce top-class athletes, for which Jamaica is well known worldwide,” Gayle stated, noting that the shift aims to further professionalize coaching in Jamaica.

  As part of the new system, previously certified coaches must complete the World Athletics Safeguarding course and pay a license fee to transition into the updated program. Meanwhile, new coaches will need to complete one of the various World Athletics courses to qualify for initial certification. All coaches, regardless of experience, will have to participate in Continuous Education (CE) to earn credits that will be required for license renewal.

  To accumulate these CE credits, coaches can attend workshops, seminars, and courses hosted by a variety of recognized organizations, including World Athletics, JAAA, JATAFCA, Jamaica Association of Sports Medicine, JADCO, the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Sports, INSPORTS, and other Member Federations. Beginning in January 2026, coaches will also be required to submit a police record to renew their licenses.

  David Riley, President of JATAFCA, alongside veteran instructor Roy Thomas, who both recently completed the World Athletics Level 2 Lecturers Course, will oversee the rollout of the new Coaching Education Content for Jumps, Throws, Sprints, and Hurdles. Riley provided insight into the new system’s structure, which allows coaches to achieve World Athletics certification at three levels:

  Level 1: Youth Coach (U16)
  Level 2: Junior Coach (U20)
  Level 3: Senior Coach (20+)
  Level 1 certification can be achieved by completing an online self-driven course, which will serve as the prerequisite for an initial license upon completion of an in-person assessment by JATAFCA. The next assessment is scheduled for November 15 in Kingston, providing a final opportunity for coaches to gain initial licensing compliance before the new regulations take effect in January.

  Through these changes, Jamaica’s coaching landscape is set to see significant professional development, ensuring that track and field coaches across the island meet rigorous international standards.

   

   

   

   

   

• Owen Samuda triumphs in Brooklyn Open after eight-year break

  Jamaica's Owen Samuda made a triumphant return to competitive golf, clinching the Brooklyn Open title at the Marine Park Golf Course in Brooklyn, USA. After an eight-year hiatus from the event, Samuda won the championship division with a stellar performance, shooting a four-under-par 68 on the par-72 course. His victory came by the narrowest of margins, finishing just one stroke ahead of Gabe Lee, who shot a 69. Andrew Giuliani and fellow Jamaican Luke Watson both tied for third, with scores of one-under-par 71.

  The championship division featured 29 highly competitive players, including professional golfers like 40-year-old Gabe Lee, a Korean golfer based in Queens, and 38-year-old Andrew Giuliani, a former professional who competed for seven years.

  Samuda, at 54 years old, is a caddy at Pine Valley Golf Course in New Jersey, a course often ranked among the best in the world. Reflecting on his victory, Samuda expressed his joy, especially after such a long break from the tournament.

  “It’s been about eight years since I last played the Brooklyn Open,” Samuda shared. “When I heard about the tournament, I decided to enter and played a practice round just to get familiar with the course again. The day before the tournament, it rained heavily for two days, so the course was soft, but in great condition. The greens were rolling fast, so controlling the speed of my putts was crucial."

  He added that his strong start on the front nine helped him maintain momentum. "By the 13th hole, I was five under par but made bogeys on holes eight and nine before birdying hole ten to finish at four under. I started on hole twelve because of the shotgun start and finished on hole eleven. I didn’t realize how close the competition was, so winning by one stroke was a great surprise. It feels amazing to win the Brooklyn Open for the first time.”