Grand Slam Track Names Sites & Dates

With the announcement of its four host cities for year one, Grand Slam Track has readied itself for what will undoubtedly be a new experience in marketing the sport of track & field. The host line-up and schedule, as it stands now:

April 04–06: National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica
May 02–04: Ansin Sports Complex, Miramar, Florida
May 30–June 01: Franklin Field, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 27–29: Drake Stadium, Westwood, California

Said founder Michael Johnson of the final meet announcement: “As a global sports capital, LA provides the perfect stage to showcase the cream of the crop from around the world. We’re eager to bring the event to this iconic city and can’t wait to give fans an unforgettable experience.”
Johnson’s original plans called for only two of the events to be held in the United States. However, overtures to hold one of the meets in either London Stadium or Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium fell flat when UK Athletics turned down the opportunity, citing financial risk.

“We’re positive about Michael Johnson’s format,” said UK Athletics chief Jack Buckner. “But three days of just track athletics is a lot of tickets to sell in the London Stadium and the cost base comes pretty high there. They did approach us and we had a really good discussion with them. We would like to have a bigger, more comprehensive events portfolio, but we want that built on strong foundations that are sustainable.”

Instead, the federation is looking at a possible bid for the ’29 Worlds, along with a focus on making the London Diamond League meeting profitable.

In the meantime, the GST organization has been announcing a steady stream of athlete signings, which all started with its initial ambassador, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

Already, 32 have been announced of the 48 GST “Racers”, who will race in two events at each Grand Slam. They will receive a base salary in addition to being eligible for prize money:

Men — Devon Allen, Marco Arop, Kenny Bednarek, Roshawn Clarke, Alison dos Santos, Clément Ducos, Grant Fisher, Luis Grijalva, Quincy Hall, Cole Hocker, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Fred Kerley, Josh Kerr, Ronald Kwemoi, Yared Nuguse, Jereem Richards, Daniel Roberts, Muzala Samukonga.
Women — Jasmine…