Ronald Kwemoi

"I had done great things in the sport before, but I had never won a medal. That was something that had tormented me and eluded me for so long. And I finally got two of them. So it feels great. It feels even better when you feel so much ownership over them. I know that it was my decision-making and risk-taking that led to those outcomes."

My guest for today's episode is U.S. Olympian and two-time bronze medalist Grant Fisher. Grant had a career-defining year in 2024, standing on the podium twice at the Paris Olympics in the 5000m and 10,000m. But true to his form, he's not content to rest on those accomplishments. He's gearing up for a new challenge in 2025 by signing on for the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track.

In this interview, he shares his thoughts on how the Grand Slam model can elevate track visibility, attract new fans, and give athletes like him more opportunities to test themselves against the best in the world. He's in a racer group that will contest a 3K and 5K against the likes of Luis Grijalva, Ronald Kwemoi and one more racer that is expected to be announced soon. 

We dive into Grant's reflections on his breakout 2024 season, the lessons he's carrying into 2025, and how he's preparing for a shot at both glory and Grand Slam Track and some more hardware at the world Championships in Tokyo.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Grant Fisher | @grantfisher_ on Instagram

Time stamps:

4:08 - Where he’s at with training and racing coming off the Olympics.

5:15 - Reflections on his 2024 season.

6:42 - How he built his confidence heading into the Olympics.

7:47 - Goals for the 2025 season.

8:48 - Why he decided to sign with GST. 

15:24 - Why he might have an edge over other GST racers.

17:12 - Thoughts on racing the 3K/5K double in Jamaica.

21:05 - Why fans should care about watching GST.

23:19 - Thoughts on his GST competitors, who else he wants to join.

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OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

"I’m actually very excited to sign with Grand Slam Track because I really enjoy racing. Time trialing is fun and all, but I’ve run 12:50 in the 5K, and there’s only so much of a difference between 12:40 and 12:50. I figure at this point in my career, it’s not the world record, I just want to compete and I just want to race."

Two-time Guatemalan Olympian and national record holder Luis Grijalva has signed with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025.

Grijalva joins Grand Slam Track as the third Racer in the “long distance” category that will contest the 3000m and 5000m at each respective Slam. He will be joined by 5000m Olympic silver medalist Ronald Kwemoi and 5000m and 10,000m Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher.

Grijalva finished fourth in the 5000m at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and ran a personal best of 12:50.58 at the Oslo Diamond League in May. He owns a 3000m personal best of 7:29.43 from the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and finished third in the 3000m at this year’s Stockholm Diamond League in a season’s best of 7:33.96. 

In this episode, Grijalva joins Chris Chavez to break down why he signed with the league, why he’s excited for it, and what he’s looking forward to most heading into next year.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Luis Grijalva | @luisgrijalva_ on Instagram

Time Stamps:

5:01 - What he’s most excited about with joining Grand Slam Track.

7:47 - Perspective on championship racing vs. rabbited races. 

11:19 - How GST will help prepare athletes for global Championships.

14:42 - Thoughts on GST’s prize money. 

17:18 - Thoughts on his GST competitors + other athletes he wants to see join.

20:11 - What sets GST apart from other competitions. 

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

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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