Miami Slam: What magic is in store?
Rekortan’s pick of the Grand Slam Track rivalries to watch on Miramar Boulevard
The second Slam is about to drop in Miami. The meeting of Grand Slam Track and The Magic City promises to conjure up some of the very best track magic the world has to offer. As the league’s Official Track Partner, we’ve crunched the data from the first Slam and past rivalries to predict the hottest head-to-heads to watch.
Data science meets Miami track magic below:
1. Women’s Short Sprints: Gabrielle Thomas (USA) x Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (USA)
There’s a new potential rivalry set to flourish at the Miami Slam as Kingston Long Sprint winner, Gabrielle Thomas switches codes to Short Sprints. She’ll take on Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, winner of both Short Sprints races in Kingston, in a USA head-to-head clash.
This is only the fourth time the two have raced each other with Jefferson-Wooden winning both previous races over 100m and Thomas dominating over their only 200m battle.
Brittany Brown, WCH and Olympic medalist as well as current Diamond League winner over 200m, poses a significant threat.
2. Men’s Short Sprints: Kenneth Bednarek (USA) x Andre de Grasse (CAN)
With eight Olympic and five WCH medals to his name Canadian legend, Andre de Grasse goes up against Kingston Slam winner, Kenneth Bednarek. De Grasse has more Olympic medals than all his Grand Slam Track competition combined, but Bednarek has the dominant head-to-head record. These sprinting powerhouses have battled it out in 20 races, 14 of which went Bednarek’s way.
Who will pull it out of the hat in Miami?
3. Women’s Short Hurdles: Racers v Challengers
What was already an impressive field in Kingston just got even more spicy for Miami. And the heat between Racers and Challengers is on.
In Kingston, American Challenger Tia Jones surprised Olympic Champions Masai Russell (USA) and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn (PUR) winning the 100m hurdles.
USA’s Kendra Harrison will join the Challengers in Miami to mix things up again. A former World Record Holder in the 100m hurdles, Keni Harrison is still the second-best woman of all-time in that event and joins the start line with a host of Olympic and World Championship medals behind her.
4. Women’s Long Sprints: Racers v New Challengers
“Gabrielle Thomas may have moved to Short Sprints, but this race is loaded with talent from new Challengers.”
GBR’s Amber Anning is the 400m National Record holder and an Olympic medalist over 4x400m. She will face the USA’s Kendall Ellis, the 4x400m Tokyo Olympic Champion and double World Champion.
Young sensation Isabella Whittaker set the indoor American record over 400m this year with the second fastest time ever (just 0.07 behind the WR). If she is able to deliver a similar performance outdoors, favorite Racers Marileidy Paulino (DOM) and Salwa Naser (BRN), who ran an incredibly fast 400m in Kingston, could be in trouble. Hold on to your seats for this race.
5. Men’s Long Sprints: Steven Gardiner (BAH) x Matthew Hudson-Smith (GBR)
Bahamas track veteran, Steven Gardiner is the new Racer in town for Miami. He hasn’t lost a 400m race he has finished since 2017, he was the Tokyo2020 400m Olympic champion and took the gold at the World Championships in Doha 2019.
But he is also an incredible 200m runner. His 19.75 mark from 2018 makes him the fastest in the Grand Slam Track field. Gardiner also beats all his main rivals in head-to-head races with 12 wins out of 14. He has eight out of ten wins over Kingston Slam Winner, Matthew Hudson-Smith, he beat 200m specialist, Jereem Richards, both times they have raced and Olympic medalist, Muzala Samukonga, the sole time they have faced-off.
New American Challenger Bryce Deadmon, a 4x Olympic medalist and World Champion over 4x400m relays could also bring the magic.
6. Men’s Short Distance: Timothy Cheruiyot (KEN) x 1,500m specialists x Marco Arop (CAN)
Cheruiyot is one of best athletes in the World for the 800m/1500m duo. With a 1:43.11 PR for the 800m (faster than any 800m ever run by Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse or Josh Kerr), Cheruiyot is, in fact, a 1,500m specialist, Olympic Silver Medalist (Tokyo 2020), World Champion (Doha 2019) and 4x Diamond League winner for that event.
After his fellow countryman Emmanuel Wanyonyi beat the formidable trio of Hocker, Nuguse and Kerr in Kingston, the ingredients are there for another showstopper over 1500m.
Kingston runner-up, Marco Arop has been training hard and will likely attempt to break the 13-year 800m WR this season. The clash between the Canadian and the Kenyan over 800m is a world first and is not to be missed.
More from the men in Miami
The French x American rivalry in the Men’s Short hurdles will be reignited when Kingston winner Sasha Zoya and Dylan Beard meet again but keep an eye on new American Challenger Trey Cunningham.
It will be everyone against Kingston star Alison dos Santos in the Men’s Long Hurdles and the USA’s Grand Fisher will be all in for his second Slam win in the Men’s Long Distance against top competition from Ronald Kwemoi (KEN) as well as new Challenger Sam Atkin (GBR).
What other women could win?
The remaining women’s events in the female-founded city will see Sydney McLaughlin defend her Slam title in the Long Hurdles. Fellow American, Anna Hall provides an interesting ingredient to the race. As one of the best Heptathletes in the world, could she threaten McLaughlin’s dominance?
Diribe Welteji and Nikki Hiltz will clash again over the Short Distance battle with a new Challenger, Ethiopian Freweyni Hailu, fresh from a gold medal at the World Indoor Championship in Nanjing capable of causing an upset.
Will Kenyan WR holder for the Road 5km and 10km, Agnes Ngetich, who came second in the Kingston Slam be able to make Miami the moment she transfers her road ability to the track in the Women’s Long Distance?
Let the magic commence in Miami…