Athletics

Bad day for Kenyans as inaugural Grand Slam Track series got off in Jamaica

Sam Nganga April 5, 2025 3 min read

Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye wins the women 3000m race and is followed in second place by Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich during the Kingstone Grand Slam Trackk Meeting held on Friday at the Independence Park National Stadium, in Jamaica/ Photo Courtesy

The inaugural Grand Slam Track series, organized by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, got off to a glittering start in at the Independence Park National Stadium, Kingston on Friday as many of the world’s leading athletes descended on Jamaica’s capital to take part in the lucrative series.

Big guns starred in the series opener with the likes of World and Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Nikki Hilt, Gabby Thomas, Kenny Bednarek, and Grant Fischer all dominating and winning their respective events.

However, it was a bad day in office for the Kenyan contingent led by Olympic 800m bronze medalist Mary Moraa and World 10km record holder Agnes Ngetich as they faltered in their respective races. Moraa, the 2023 World champion performed dismally when as finished a distance eighth position in a time of 2:00.97 in the women’s 800m race.

In an event that saw six women dip under two minutes, USA’s Nikki Hilt (1:58.23) outsprinted Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (1:58.29) to claim the victory. Australia’s Jessica Hull was third in a personal best of 1:58.58. Another Kenyan in the race, Susan Ejore, finished fifth after timing 1:59.26.

Ngetich on the other hand, opened her season with a second place finish in the women’s 3,000m race behind the 2023 World 10,000m bronze medallist, Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia. Taye outpaced the Kenyan in the last 300m and held on to cut the tape first in 8:28.42 with the latter coming home in second place in a new personal best of 8:28.75.

The 2018 World Junior 3000m bronze medalist, Tsigie Gebreselama of Ethiopia finished in third with Kenya’s Hellen Ekalale Lobun coming home in fourth place.

Taye’s winning time was the fastest time ever recorded in the Caribbean.

McLaughlin-Levrone opened her season with a comfortable win in the women’s 400m hurdles, bursting the tape in a world-leading 52.76. Former world-record holder and 2016 Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad finished a distant second in 54.59. In the men’s equivalent, Olympic bronze medalist Alison dos Santos outclassed the field to register a world-leading 47.61.

Gabby Thomas powered away from the field in the women’s 200m to win in 22.62. World and Olympic 400m champion Marileidy Paulino finished strong to snatch second in a season’s best of 22.93.

Double Olympic medalist Grant Fisher led a US sweep in the men’s 5000m, crossing the line in 14:39.14 ahead of Cooper Teare (14:39.31) and Dylan Jacobs (14:39.56). Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi, the Olympic 5000m silver medalist came fifth clocking 14:40.64.

The men’s 100m closed the show with US sprinter Kenny Bednarek, who was making his first appearance on Jamaican soil, tasting victory in 10.07. Bednarek, running in a strong headwind (-1.3m/s), timed his run to perfection to deny hometown favorite Oblique Seville (10.08).