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• Nugent excited to compete at Grand Slam Track opener in front of home crowd

  Jamaica’s national 100m hurdles record holder Ackera Nugent couldn’t hide her excitement when she found out that the first ever Grand Slam Track event would take place on home soil in Jamaica.

  Nugent found out for the first time during an interview with Grand Slam Track founder and four-time Olympic Gold medallist Michael Johnson published on Grand Slam Track's social media pages on Monday.

  The 22-year-old Olympic and World Championship finalist is one of three Jamaican athletes, alongside Roshawn Clarke and Rushell Clayton, to sign to the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track as racers.

  The first of four slam events will take place at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, a stone’s throw away from Nugent’s alma mater, Excelsior High School.

  “That’s a great feeling being on home soil,” Nugent said in the interview.

  “I know I need to focus on the meet but the food, getting a free trip home, having my mom being able to see me, not only at trials but at another very big meet competing against ladies from different areas and countries, that would be really good,” added the reigning national champion.

  The 2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor sprint hurdles champion also believes this experience will be good for fans in Jamaica who will get to see athletes that they never thought they would see compete live.

  “I feel like the nation itself would really like that and they would come out and support because they’re going to be able to see athletes that really did not ever come to the country but they’re fans of,” she said.

  Nugent is coming off a bittersweet 2024 season. On one hand, she experienced disappointment at the Paris Olympics in August, failing to finish the final.

  On the other hand, she established a new national record of 12.24, the joint fourth-fastest time ever, at the Rome Diamond League later that month.

   

   

• Roshawn Clarke describes signing with Grand Slam Track as a dream come true

  Roshawn Clarke, one of Jamaica’s most promising young track talents, has achieved a major milestone in his career by signing with Grand Slam Track™, fulfilling a long-held dream of working under the guidance of track legend Michael Johnson. Clarke, who set the World U20 record of 47.34 in the 400m hurdles, joins fellow Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Ackera Nugent in the newly launched league, becoming one of 37 racers already signed for the inaugural 2025 season.

  Clarke’s talent and consistent performances, including his appearance in the 400m hurdles final at the 2024 Paris Olympics, made him an attractive candidate for Grand Slam Track despite his heartbreaking stumble at the final hurdle in Paris. Founder Michael Johnson, speaking at Monday's announcement at the Jamaica Pegasus that Jamaica will host the inaugural meet from April 4-, 2025, praised Clarke, saying, “One of the things for us as a league is finding the new talent, new stars of tomorrow, and Roshawn certainly represents that. As the World U20 record holder, his excellence and what he represents are exactly what we want in our athletes. We are very excited to have Roshawn as one of our first racers.”

   For Clarke, the signing was the realization of a dream he’d held ever since the new track league was announced. “It’s an exciting feeling to be a Grand Slam Track racer,” he said. “Not many people get the opportunity to be one of the best in the world. To be able to sign as a racer… only the fastest, and I’m ranked fifth right now, it’s a great feeling.”

   When his agent, Cubie Seegobin, called with the news, Clarke was overwhelmed with joy. "I was making a lot of noise," Clarke shared, laughing. "I was right next to my mom. I literally parked my car and ran out, pure noise. I had always told my mom that I wanted Grand Slam to sign me. I was at the supermarket when I got the email, and I parked the car and ran!”

   Reflecting on his Olympic final experience, Clarke emphasized the resilience it inspired in him. “The Olympic final, I fell at the last hurdle. That experience made me realize how important it is to stay focused and bounce back. I learned how to gather myself and go again,” he said, underscoring his determination to improve as he prepares for the 2025 season.

  The Grand Slam Track format will challenge Clarke in both the 400m and 400m hurdles over four weekends throughout the season, with each Slam weekend including two races. The intense schedule has Clarke and his coach adapting their training to ensure he’s prepared not only for Grand Slam events but for other key competitions throughout the year.

  For Clarke, the opportunity to compete among the best while working closely with a track icon like Michael Johnson is the fulfillment of a dream and a testament to his potential on the world stage. Fans can look forward to seeing this rising Jamaican star in action when Grand Slam Track kicks off its inaugural season.

• “It’s time to highlight this country for its excellence in the sport of track,” says Johnson on decision to select Kingston for first ever Grand Slam Track event

  Grand Slam Track is the newest innovation in a sport that has been in desperate need for a jolt in electricity for some time.

  Founded by former World record holder in both the 200m and 400m, Michael Johnson, the four-slam series will see some of the world’s best athletes competing against each other consistently, something fans of the sport of track and field have only come to expect every four years at the Olympic Games.

  So far, only two of the four host cities for 2025’s inaugural season have been announced, Los Angeles and Kingston.

  On Monday, it was announced that Jamaica’s National Stadium will host the first ever Grand Slam event from April 4-6 next year.

  Johnson, as well as members of the Grand Slam Track team, was on hand at a press conference at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel on Monday to offer more insight on why Kingston has been chosen as the first city.

  “We’ve all watched the incredible success of Jamaican racers and we want to shine a light on that greatness as a top destination for major sporting events,” Johnson said.

  “Jamaican athletes have represented this country in an amazing way around the globe for years and it’s time to come back here and highlight the country for its excellence in the sport of track,” he added.

  He went further: “Jamaica has truly earned its place as one of the pre-eminent track and field countries in the world. This country has punched far above its weight on the global stage when it comes to track so, for us, it’s only fitting that we progress on track with a new professional series that has immediately catapulted itself to the top of our sport,” he said.

  “It’s only fitting that we honour that excellence in track that Jamaica has always represented and continues to represent,” Johnson added.

  The four-time Olympic champion also reminisced on his first time competing in Jamaica, joking with the crowd that it might show his age.

  “I ran at the National Stadium back in 1989 and 1990 at the Mutual Life Games. That was the first time I ever left the USA. I came here to compete and I’ve been inspired ever since as the sprint capital of the world,” Johnson said.

  The other two host cities will be announced later this week.