Just two days after a trio of signings, Grand Slam Track announced on Thursday that Jamaican Olympians Roshawn Clarke and Ackera Nugent will join the league.
Clarke and Nugent’s deals with the league come on the heels of Nikki Hiltz, Grant Fisher and Ronald Kwemoi being added to the roster on Tuesday.
“Ackera and Roshawn are incredible talents who have achieved major success at such a young age,” Michael Johnson, the league’s founder said in a statement. “Both of them have already made their mark on the global stage, and I’m excited to see how they continue to grow in Grand Slam Track. They represent the next generation of world-class Jamaican competitors, and I know they’re going to bring something special to the league.”
Clarke, 20, is already a phenom in the 400m hurdles and his U20 record of 47.34 in the 2023 World Championships raised his profile in the sport. He qualified for the 400m final in August at the Paris Olympics.
“I like the idea of Grand Slam Track because it changes how things usually are in track,” Clarke said in a statement. “I’m ready to jump into this and compete against the best while testing myself. This league gives me that chance. Racing in all four Slams means I’ll have the opportunity to show what I can really do.”
Meanwhile, Nugent, 22, primarily runs the 100m hurdles with a personal best of 12.24 in the event. She qualified for the 100m hurdles final in Paris.
“For me, it’s all about growth,” Nugent said in a statement. “I’m constantly looking for ways to get better, and Grand Slam Track gives me the platform to do just that. Racing at this level, over and over, against the best in the world, is what I’ve always wanted, and I’m ready to see how much more I can achieve.”
Clarke and Nugent are signed as “Racers” in the new league and guaranteed to compete in all four planned meets in 2025.
The league, with Johnson at the helm, has continued to announce participating athletes at what seems like a weekly basis. He announced the formal structure of the league before the Paris Games and shifted the attention of the sport when Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone became the first to sign with Grand Slam Track.
Johnson has pledged to drastically boost payouts to athletes in the series, with event winners taking home $100,000 and eighth place finishers getting $10,000. The league has announced changes from traditional norms in track, as athletes will not wear bibs or hip numbers. Athletes will have to create custom kits with their sponsors or wear their uniforms of choice. As of now, no shoe brand is aligned with the league but all brands are expected to play a supporting role in promoting the athletes.
The league will feature 48 “Racers” and 48 “Challengers” with the goal of creating interesting matchups over the course of several events: short sprints (100m and 200m), short hurdles (100m hurdles, 110m hurdles and 100m hurdles), long sprints (200m and 400m), long hurdles (400m hurdles and 400m), short distance (800m and 1500m) and long distance (3,000m and 5,000m).
—
