MIRAMAR, Fla. – The Grand Slam Track league is back in South Florida this weekend, bringing Olympic star power and some of the fastest athletes on the planet to the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar for a three-day showcase of elite competition.
Olympic legend Michael Johnson, who serves as commissioner of the league, appeared on Local 10 News Wednesday, alongside fellow Olympic gold medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Olympian Freddie Crittenden to preview the event, which runs from May 2-4 and features 96 athletes from around the globe.
“Grand Slam Track is the first truly professional track league for track athletes,” Johnson said. “As opposed to these athletes having to wait every four years for an opportunity to show that they’re the best and compete against the best, we do it four times a year.”
Jefferson-Wooden, who won gold last summer in Paris, said the league has helped her grow as a competitor and push beyond her comfort zone.
“I feel like it’s an opportunity for me to grow into who I want to be as an athlete in this sport,” she said. “I always tell everyone back home that I want to be known as one of the best to ever do it in my sport, and so I feel like Grand Slam Track has really started to give me that platform.”
She said the format has her running the 200 meters more frequently, despite it being a secondary event for her. “Now I literally signed up to run it four times a year and so I have no choice but to go out there and perform now,” she said.
Crittenden, a finalist in the hurdles at the Paris Olympics, said the league fills a critical need for year-round competition.
“Every year you really don’t have an off year,” he said. “There’s different championships, but every year you’re trying to push yourself and perform at the highest level. That’s kind of what it is here, especially with Grand Slam — racing the fastest in the world.”
Johnson added that the structure of the league forces athletes to test themselves outside their specialties, making for more compelling matchups for fans.
“Melissa’s the best 100-meter runner out there, but then she’s got to come over and run the 200, which is her secondary event,” he said. “She may be running against people for whom the 200 is their primary event — like this weekend.”
Tickets for the Grand Slam Track event start at $20 for general admission. The races begin Friday and continue through Sunday at the Ansin Sports Complex, located at 10801 Miramar Blvd.
“You rooted and screamed your head off for these two last summer in Paris,” Local 10’s Eric Yutzy said. “Now you get to see them in person … right here in our own backyard.”
Click here for more information on the event.
