Day Two of Grand Slam Track brought high energy and world-beating performances and, on an evening when the first four champions were crowned and handed US$100,000 ($15.7 million) cheques, the far-reaching impact of the series was not lost on both the haves and have-nots.

Saturday’s crowd in the National Stadium was larger and louder during a session when two world leads were registered, including a massive statement run from Salwa Eid Naser in the women’s 400m long sprint. She is back!

While the meet features some of the biggest names in international athletics, with the likes of Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas being among those who already enjoy substantial contracts and sponsorship, Grand Slam Track is also creating earning opportunities for those at the other end of the spectrum.

A year ago, Dylan Beard, the world leader in the 110m hurdles, was working in a small food establishment, scraping to make ends meet. Yesterday, he took a giant step towards his biggest payday in athletics after claiming a strong win in the short hurdles event.

“It means a lot, this series really speaks to me because this opportunity didn’t exist a year ago when I was working hard, grinding in a deli, just trying to make ends meet and be able to compete at meets like this, and here you are guaranteed to leave with something,” Beard told the Jamaica Observer.

Beard clocked 13.29 seconds and picked up 12 valuable points in the short hurdles category ahead of today’s 100m clash, finishing ahead of Sasha Zoya, 13.34, and Olympic silver medallist Daniel Roberts, 13.35 seconds.

In the performance of the entire weekend so far, Eid Naser demolished an impressive field, stopping the clock at 48.67 seconds, the fastest time in the world so far, with Thomas some ways behind in 49.14 — a personal best — and Olympic champion Marileidy Paulino, 49.35, taking third.

Ed Naser might have won the race, attacking the one-lap event from the first 100m, wrestling command and leading all the way to the line, but it was Thomas who secured the bag, with her second-place finish enough to take her to the top of the points table in the long sprints events after Friday’s 200m victory.

The men’s long sprints 200m, made up of mostly 400m specialists, was won by Matthew Hudson-Smith in 20.77 seconds, following up from his second-place finish in the one-lap event on Friday to take his tally to 20 points, securing the Grand Slam title in the category and US$100,000 cash prize.

Second place in the event went to Jereem Richards, 20.81, with Deandre Watkin, 20.91 taking third.

Diribe Welteji (20 points) took top honours in the short distance category after taking the women’s 1500m in 4:04.51, winning both the race and the Grand Slam title ahead of 800m victor Nikki Hiltz (18 points), 4:05.39, who actually ran third behind Susan Ejore, 4:05.10 in second.

American Kenny Bednarek made it back-to-back wins in the men’s short sprints, taking the 200m last night in 20.07 seconds to take the Grand Slam crown. Zharnel Hughes, 20.37, was second and Fred Kerley took third in 20.39. Bednarek already has plans for his US$100,000, with home-improvement projects high on his agenda.

“I wanted to come here and dominate the field and that’s what I did… I am $100k richer, I have some plans to renovate the home,” Bednarek smiled.

In one of the races of the event, American Tia Jones pulled an upset in the women’s 100m hurdles – short hurdles, getting the better of a field that included the last two Olympic champions and the reigning world champion, clocking a world leading 12.63 seconds.

Second place went to Jamaica’s Danielle Williams, 12.70, with Tokyo 2020 champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn taking third with the same time. The women’s short hurdles athletes will close out their assignment today in the 100m.

Women’s 100m winner Melissa Jefferson, 11.11, was also pleased with the opportunities presented by the series.

“I feel like this is a great starting point, and hopefully, as this continues to grow, more people will want to be a part of it and contribute to wanting to pay the athletes what they deserve to be paid,” said Jefferson.

In the special high school programme, Mona High’s Kevin Bliss, who just missed a medal at Champs, took the boys’ 400m in 47.66 seconds, beating Class One bronze medal winner Omarie Williamson, 47.71, from Holmwood Technical, with Foga Road’s Paul Henry rounding out the top three with 48.17.

The girls’ equivalent was a thrilling battle between Class One champion Abigail Campbell of Hydel and Edwin Allen’s Kellyann Carr, the bronze medallist from Champs.

Campbell, who is yet to lose a 400m final at the National Stadium, outlasted Carr in a gutsy sprint to the finish line, stopping the clock at 52.17 seconds, with the Edwin Allen standout posting 52.28 for second place. Third went to another Hydel athlete, Nastassia Fletcher, who clocked 53.03 seconds.

The boys’ 200m showdown pitted the Class One champion Sanjay Seymore (William Knibb) against the Class Two gold medal winner Usain Bernard (Petersfield), but it was Seymore who took the win, confirming his quality with a 22.02 clocking, finishing ahead of Vere’s Omar James, 22.04, and Edwin Allen’s Antonio Powell, 22.09, in a blanket finish.

Class Two champion Shanoya Douglas (Muschette), 23.37 seconds, manhandled the girls’ 200m field in a race against the clock, battling a -3.1m/s wind and showing her class, with the Class One gold medallist Jody-Ann Daley (Hydel), 23.95, forced to settle for second place. Third went to Hydel’s Sashana Johnson, who posted 24.02.

Calabar’s Jamal Stephenson helped himself to some redemption after his setbacks at Champs, winning the boys’ 100m in 10.70 seconds (-3.5m/s) ahead of Rosean Smith (Lacovia), 10.74, and Shaquane Gordon (Calabar), 10.79.

Sabrina Dockery, 11.83, Lacovia’s super sprinter, held on for a close win in the girls’ equivalent, finishing ahead of a fast-closing Shamonique Hazle, 11.87, from Hydel, with Edwin Allen’s Renecia Edwards, 11.96, taking third.

Grand Slam Track continues today starting at midday with the running of high school relays before the start of the main schedule.

From left: Grand Slam Track commissioner and co-founder Michael Johnson shares the spotlight with winners Kenny Bednarek (Men’s Short Sprints), Gabby Thomas (Women’s Long Sprints), Diribe Welteji (Women’s Short Distance) and Matthew Hudson-Smith (Men’s Long Sprint) on Day Two of the series at the National Stadium on April 5, 2025. The winners each received US$100,000. (Garfield Robinson)

BEDNAREK…I wanted to come here and dominate the field and that’s what I did (Garfield Robinson)