- The organizers of the 2025 Grand Slam Track have announced that the Los Angeles leg will not take place.
- According to the Grand Slam Track founder Michael Johnson, the decision was made for the betterment of the event.
- American sprinters Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek have been named the 2025 Grand Slam Track racers of the year.
The inaugural 2025 Grand Slam Track season has ended prematurely after the cancellation of its final leg, the Los Angeles meeting.
Despite the shocking decision, the organizers of the Grand Slam Track series led by multiple Olympic Games gold medalist Michael Johnson did not waste a single minute in honoring top performers.
American sprinters Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek were crowned the Grand Slam racers of the year thanks to their electrifying displays that saw them clinched three consecutive titles.
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Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden started their campaign strongly by winning the men’s and women’s short sprint titles respectively at the Kingston Grand Slam Track meeting.
The duo went on to bag the titles again at the Miami Grand Slam Track and Philadelphia Grand Slam Track.
According to a statement issued on Friday morning, the upcoming 2026 edition will reach more fans.
“Grand Slam Track, the global home of professional track competition, founded to bring new energy and opportunity to the sport, today announced the conclusion of its transformational 2025 pilot season. Kenny Bednarek & Melissa Jefferson-Wooden are the inaugural Grand Slam Track Racers of the Year, having won three-straight Championships each.
The league now turns its attention to building out the 2026 calendar of events to bring Grand Slam Track to fans around the world. The previously scheduled Los Angeles Slam has been postponed until the 2026 season,” read part of the statement from the organizers.
Johnson, who won more than three Olympic Gold medals for the United States during his running career, stated that the decision to call off the Los Angeles Meeting was made after a thorough review.
“As we’ve said all along, we were going to have learnings, make adjustments, and continue to improve. Sometimes we have to make moves that aren’t comfortable, but what’s most important is the future and sustainability of the league,” he explained.
He also took the opportunity to congratulate Bednarek and Jefferson-Wooden for entering their names into record books as the first Grand Slam Track racers of the year as well as thanked all the athletes who featured in the inaugural edition.
Some of the Kenyan stars who competed in this year’s Grand Slam Track either as racers or challengers include Agnes Jebet Ngetich, Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mary Moraa, and Ronald Kwemoi.
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