Gabby Thomas, Kenneth Bednarek Win Sprint Prizes At First Grand Slam

By David Woods for DyeStat

Photo by @grandslamtrack

The first Grand Slam Track race of men’s short distances was a 1,500 meters featuring all three Paris Olympics medalists, plus two from the 800.

And it was a 20-year-old half-miler who took down the milers.

Emmanuel Wanyonyi, the Olympic champion at 800, swung wide into lane two to win a riveting race Saturday on night 2 of the inaugural Grand Slam meet at Kingston, Jamaica.

The top five were separated by 43-hundredths of a second.

Wanyonyi passed Josh Kerr and then leader Yared Nuguse to win the 1,500 in 3:35.18. The Kenyan ran the closing 800 in 1:49.46 and last lap in 51.58.

Nuguse was second in 3:35.36.

Cole Hocker, who led through 800 meters before dropping about eight meters behind in fifth, kicked along the rail, as he did in winning Olympic gold. He climbed to third, clocking 3:35.52.

Hocker, who has been training at altitude in Utah, is 0-4 in 1,500s since Paris.

Great Britain’s Neil Gourley and Kerr were fourth and fifth, clocking 3:35.60 and 3:35.61.

Two months ago, Nuguse set a world indoor record in the mile. The record was broken five days later by Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen, who did not sign up for Grand Slam Track.

“There’s not a lot of times when you just kind of focus on racing, and, like, not even look at the clock at all,” Nuguse said. “Which makes it really fun, especially with so many good guys in it. You never know who’s going to be there at the end.”

The eight runners in the short distances will race Sunday in an 800, in which Wanyonyi is favored.

Scoring is 10-8-6-5-4-3-2-1 per race. In each of six event groups, the runner with the most cumulative points earns the $100,000 first prize. Second is worth $50,000, down to $10,000 for eighth.

In women’s short distances, Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji emerged as winner with 20 points. Nikki Hiltz, winner of Friday’s 800, was second with 18 and Kenya’s Susan Ejore third with 12.

Welteji took the 1,500 in 4:04.51. The 22-year-old was coming off a silver medal in the World Indoor Championships at Nanjing, China, two weeks ago. Ejore was second in 4:05.10 and Hiltz third in 4:05.30.

 Australia’s Jessica Hull, a bronze medalist in the 3,000 at Nanjing, led for most of the race but was passed by all three in the home stretch. She was fourth in 4:05.48.

“I think this is something that’s going to change our sport forever, hopefully,” Hiltz said. “And if it does, then all the athletes here can say they were a part of the first one ever.”

Thomas, Bednarek claim sprint prizes

Gabby Thomas and Kenny Bednarek became the first Americans to win slams, taking long sprints and short sprints, respectively.

Thomas, a triple gold medalist at Paris, scored 20 points. Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser, who served an anti-doping ban from 2021-23 for a whereabouts violation, was second with 17.

Naser won the 400 in 48.67, fastest time ever before July. Thomas, winner of Friday’s 200, was second in a PB 49.14.

Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino of the Dominican Republican, unbeaten in 12 400s since August 2023, was third in 49.35.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been that tired in my life,” Thomas said.

She suggested she will run short sprints (100 and 200) at subsequent slams, set for Miami, Philadelphia and Los Angeles. Her father is of Jamaican ancestry, and a grandfather lives in Jamaica.

“Jamaica really showed out tonight,” Thomas said. “My family is here. Of course, the whole island is my family at this point.”

Bednarek became the first to score a perfect 24 points,

After winning Friday’s 100 by .01 in 10.07, he crushed the field by .30 to take the 200 in 20.07. Britain’s Zharnel Hughes was second in 20.37.

“I’m dangerous,”Bednarek asserted. “I figured things out.”

Tia Jones, back from injury, wins hurdles

In other events:

>> In one of the deepest fields, late addition Tia Jones surprisingly won the 100-meter hurdles in 12.63 into a headwind (-1.4). She tied a world indoor record in the 60-meter hurdles at Albuquerque, N.M., last year but tore an ACL and ran one round at the Olympic Trials. Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, the 2023 world champion, was second in 12.70. Puerto Rico’s Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, the Olympic champion in 2021 and bronze medalist in 2024, was third, also in 12.70. Reigning Olympic champion Masai Russell was fifth in 12.78.

“I’m just grateful to step on the line,” Jones said. “I’m grateful to be able to show up and show everyone what I can do.”

>>  Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith became the first slam champion, totaling 20 points in long sprints after scoring 12 to win the 200. Chris Bailey, winner of Friday’s 400, was second with 16 points. Vernon Norwood and Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago tied for third with 11 each. Hudson-Smith clocked 20.77 to win the 200 into a big headwind (-3.3), followed by Richards in 20.81. Norwood, out of lane 1, was fourth in 20.92 and Bailey fifth in 20.93.

>> American women went 1-2-3 in the 100 meters, led by Olympic bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden in 11.11 into a headwind (-0.6). Jenna Prandini, a late addition after racing last weekend at Texas Relays, was second in 11.23. Jacious Sears was third in 11.25.

>> The unsponsored Dylan Beard, coming off a hot indoor season, won the 110 hurdles in 13.29 into a headwind (-0.5). Top six were separated by .09. France’s Sasha Zhoya was second in 13.34, Daniel Roberts third in 13.35 and Freddie Crittenden fourth in 13.36.

Contact David Woods at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.