Emmanuel Wanyonyi

Jason and Kevin discuss all the highlights from the first installment of Grand Slam Track including performances from Gabby Thomas, Salwa Eid Naser, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Grant Fisher and Emmanuel Wanyonyi. 

The guys also discuss the structure of the meet and potential changes they would like to see to the format.

The first-ever Grand Slam Track event in Kingston is in the books and twelve athletes are walking away $100,000 richer. That’s $1.2 million in prize money handed out across one weekend.

The weekend closed the way it began: with Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone doing Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone things — cruising to a 50.32 in the 400, winning her race group, and reminding the world why she’s the face of this sport. First signee. Final champion. Signature Sydney.

Grant Fisher snuck into Slam Champion status with a gritty 3rd in the 3k after winning the 5k on Friday — edging Hagos Gebrhiwet by a single point. Sasha Zhoya won the men’s short hurdles group by winning the 100 flat — proving that versatility, not just velocity is the new currency for the big money.

Melissa Jefferson-Wooden doubled up in the sprints. Emmanuel Wanyonyi did just enough to hold off Marco Arop in the standings. Ejgayehu Taye ran 14:54 to sweep her distance group. And Alison dos Santos? Leaned like his life depended on it to close a 400m thriller by two hundredths.

Oh — and Jamaica got its moment too. Danielle Williams, world champ turned home crowd hero, claimed her slam title in the short hurdles with a win in the flat 100. First Jamaican Slam Champion. First Challenger to knock out the Racers. Crowd went bananas.

Every race meant something. Every move on the track changed the leaderboard. And from the pacing to the prize money, it actually felt like a sport you could follow.

Next stop? Miami, May 2–4. New city. New matchups. Same $100K at the finish line.

Chris Chavez, Aisha Praught-Leer, Eric Jenkins and Anderson Emerole unpack all the action from Day 2 of Grand Slam Track: Kingston.

Kenny Bednarek — Mr. 2x Olympic Medal, now Mr. Slam Champion — swept the short sprints and made it look easy. 100m? Win. 200m? Win. $100k? Yes please. Not bad for a weekend in Jamaica.

Gabby Thomas? She didn’t just win. She leveled up. A massive 400m PR (49.14!) — behind only a world-leading time from Salwa Eid Naser — locked down the Women’s Long Sprints crown. Two races. One trophy. Another six-figure payday.

But it wasn’t just the Americans cleaning up. Matthew Hudson-Smith of Great Britain edged out the 400m crew to win the Men’s Long Sprints Slam. Diribe Welteji outkicked Nikki Hiltz to take the Women’s Short Distance title in a spicy 1500m.

And oh yeah — there was that absolutely loaded men’s 1500 field where 800m Olympic champ Emmanuel Wanyonyi stepped up in distance and beat the entire Paris medal stand.

Tonight was the night that we believe fans started to rock with the brand-new league format. Fast, fresh, and fun. It’s a modern take on track with real stakes — and real checks — on the line.And it’s only Day 2.Let’s talk about the money. The medals. The matchups. And why this might be the shake-up the sport’s been waiting for.

Jason and Kevin discuss Jakob Ingebrigtsen's world record in the 3000m and his resounding victory in the 1500m, the fascinating races by Marco Arop and Emmanuel Wanyonyi, Mike Smith's decision to leave NAU and the upcoming Rome Diamond League.

Show Notes

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The final day of track and field at the Paris Olympics was unforgettable! Jakob Ingebrigtsen bounced back with a gold medal in the 5000m, Faith Kipyegon claimed her third Olympic title in the 1500m, and Team USA delivered stellar performances in both the men’s and women’s 4x400m relays. In the ninth edition of Torch Talk, the team dives into the day’s top highlights...

– Jakob Ingebrigtsen came back from his 1500m defeat to win gold in the 5000m for the third year in a row. Ronald Kwemoi of Kenya won silver and Grant Fisher won bronze. He became the first American man to win medals in the 5000m and 10,000m at the Olympics.

– Faith Kipyegon won the third Olympic 1500m title of her career in an Olympic record of 3:51.29. She became the first athlete to ever win three golds at this distance in the Olympics. Jess Hull won silver for the first medal by an Australian woman in this event and Georgia Bell won bronze.

– Emmanuel Wanyonyi won Kenya's 5th straight Olympic gold in the 800m, running 1:41.19 to become the 3rd-fastest athlete ever. Marco Arop took silver and Djamel Sedjati won bronze. The top four finishers all went under 1:42.

– Masai Russell won the Olympic gold in the 100mH in a time of 12.33 seconds. Jasmine Camacho-Quinn takes silver and Cyrena Samba-Mayela wins France's first medal on the track of these games.

– Kiwi Hamish Kerr beat the U.S.'s Shelby McEwen for high jump gold in an Olympic competition that came down to a jump-off. Mutaz Essa Barshim won bronze, his fourth Olympic medal in the event.

– Team USA won the women's 4x400m relay while running the 2nd-fastest time ever in 3:15.27. The Netherlands took home silver and Team GB won bronze.

– The U.S. men's 4x400m team won gold in 2:54.43, the 2nd-fastest time in history. Botswana finished just behind them as Letsile Tebogo ran the 3rd-fastest split ever, and Great Britain took bronze.

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HOSTS:

Chris Chavez | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mac Fleet | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@macfleet on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Mitch Dyer | ⁠@metchosketch on Instagram⁠

Eric Jenkins | @_ericjenkins on Instagram

Aisha Praught Leer | @aishapraughtleer on Instagram

Katelyn Hutchison | @_kxnaomi on Instagram

We’re excited to have a full CITIUS MAG team on the ground in Paris providing daily live shows before and after the action, including interviews with competing athletes, our TORCH TALK recap show, and the return of GOOD MORNING TRACK AND FIELD.

Make sure you’re subscribed to the CITIUS MAG YouTube channel for live shows, and subscribe (and share with your friends!) to the CITIUS MAG newsletter for daily newsletters in your inbox after every day of track and field competition.

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This episode covers a range of topics from the European Championships, the Kenyan and Ethiopian Olympic trials, new sponsorships and training group updates, an NCAA rule change proposal, and the announcement of the Grand Slam Track League. The hosts provide a recap of significant performances, including Jakob Ingebrigtsen's victories and the remarkable 800m by Emmanuel Wanyonyi. They also discuss the tragic passing of American legend Bob Schul and introduce the Grand Slam Track, a new league spearheaded by Michael Johnson that promises to transform track and field with significant prize money and a focus on racing over time trials.

Topics:

1. 00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
2. 00:30 European Championships Recap
3. 12:28 Ingebrigtsen Family Drama
4. 15:08 Kenyan Olympic Trials Highlights
5. 21:37 Men's 800m Sensation
6. 28:31 Ethiopian Trials: Record-Breaking Performances
7. 29:14 Young Talent: Biniyam Mahari's Remarkable Run
8. 29:58 Top Contenders: Olympic Prospects
9. 30:56 Sponsorship Shifts: Nike to Adidas
10. 33:15 Women's 10K: Tough Qualifiers
11. 34:03 Ketone IQ: Fueling Elite Athletes
12. 35:16 NCAA to Pro: New Sponsorship Deals
13. 36:00 NIL Deals: Impact on Future Pro Contracts
14. 41:01 Bob Shul: Remembering a Legend
15. 42:16 Grand Slam Track: Michael Johnson's New League
16. 42:47 League Structure: Events and Categories
17. 44:40 Prize Money and Athlete Incentives
18. 45:28 Top Athletes: Who Will Join?
19. 46:09 Focus on Racing: No Pacemakers
20. 51:53 Tactical Racing: A New Challenge
21. 56:34 Conclusion: Exciting Times Ahead