Miami, FL. – The inclusion of the reigning 200-meter Olympic gold and bronze medalists in the lineup did not prevent Melissa Jefferson-Wooden from securing her second consecutive Slam Championship. Before a sold-out audience at the Ansin Sports Complex in Miramar, Jefferson-Wooden was one of four champions crowned on Saturday night, the second evening of Grand Slam Track Miami. Each winner received a prize of $100,000.
After winning last night’s 100m, Jefferson-Wooden needed to place third or better in tonight’s 200m to successfully defend her title. Reigning Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas didn’t make it easy. Thomas, who was disappointed with her fourth place finish in the 100m yesterday, stormed to victory in her specialty event in 21.95, the second-fastest time in the world this year. But, despite a slow start, Jefferson-Wooden clawed her way back into third to secure the 100K payday.
National Records Achieved During Day 1 of Grand Slam Track’s Miami Slam
“I feel like Grand Slam is doing what it set out to do and that’s putting the best against each other every single time we step on the track,” said Jefferson-Wooden, the league’s first ever back-to-back Slam Champion. “It’s all about right now and who has it on that day.”
Jefferson-Wooden was also honored with a special visitor in celebration. Her cousin, Stephan Washington Jr., traveled to attend her competition. Currently serving in the U.S. Army and stationed in South Korea, Washington Jr. is on his second tour of duty within the past 15 months. This marked his first opportunity to witness her compete in person. Jefferson-Wooden’s Slam Championship victory made the journey particularly meaningful. Footage of their heartfelt reunion is available at this link.
“I knew that I had to win and I needed some other things to shake out in my favor, which they just didn’t,” said Thomas, who was the Women’s Long Sprints Slam Champion in Kingston. “I’ve just got to come back hungrier and take this loss on the chin and do better.”
Jefferson-Wooden was honored with an unexpected visit in celebration. Stephan Washington Jr., her cousin, traveled to attend and observe her competition. Washington Jr. is currently serving in the U.S. Army and is stationed in South Korea, on his second tour of duty within the past 15 months. This occasion marked his first opportunity to see her compete in person. Jefferson-Wooden’s Slam Championship victory made the visit particularly meaningful. Footage of their heartfelt reunion is available at the following link.
Jefferson was one of three Slam Champions who did not finish the race today. In the men’s long sprint events, Jereem Richards secured the top position after being narrowly edged out by Jacory Patterson in the 400 meters. Patterson’s time of 43.98 seconds represents a world-leading mark and a personal best.
“It’s crazy. I can’t even put it into words,” said Patterson, who works full time loading trucks at UPS. “Everything we are doing has just been hitting.”
Following his impressive victory in last night’s 1500m, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr achieved a personal best of 1:45.01 in the 800m, finishing fifth in that event. This performance was sufficient to secure a narrow win in the Men’s Short Distance Race Group.
“Forget about me, this man ran 43,” Richards excitedly told reporters as he pointed to Patterson after the race. “I felt like I was good. Jacory waited for me to kick and then kicked after me.”
Canada’s Marco Arop secured first place in the 800 meters, demonstrating a strong performance that placed him second within his group. His finishing time of 1:43.69 is the fastest outdoor 800-meter time worldwide for the year.
“I think progress was definitely the name of the game this week. That allowed me to come in pretty relaxed and just ready to fight for wins,” said Kerr, who was seeking redemption after a disappointing performance in Kingston. “I definitely think we got some more sharpening to do before the end of the Grand Slam season. We’re having fun with it.”
Ackera Nugent of Jamaica was the sole athlete on the evening to secure both the race victory and the Slam Championship in the same event. Following her third-place finish in the 100m hurdles yesterday evening, Nugent achieved a personal best time of 11.09 seconds to win the 100m race and earn the title of Slam Champion in the Women’s Short Hurdles Race Group. The $100,000 prize is a welcome addition to her achievements, coinciding with her recent 23rd birthday.
“I didn’t do what I wanted to do in the hurdles, but I just know that I needed to stay focused,” said Nugent, the 2025 World Indoor bronze medalist in the 60m hurdles. “You can’t reflect on the bad. You have to focus on the good and work in the areas that you can correct.”
Masai Russell, who set an American record of 12.17 in the 100mH last night, finished second in the group.
In other events, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone remains undefeated in the Women’s Long Hurdles. The world-record holder won the 400mH in 52.07, beating Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight by more than two seconds.
Kenny Bednarek continues his undefeated streak, securing first place in the 100-meter dash with a time of 9.79 seconds, aided by a wind speed of +2.4 m/s. Due to the wind conditions exceeding the legal limit of +2.0 m/s, the result is considered wind-assisted. Notably, six out of the eight athletes in the race finished under 10 seconds.
Trey Cunningham made his debut at the Grand Slam Track event, recording a personal best of 13.00 seconds to secure victory in the 110m hurdles. Cunningham edged out defending Slam Champion Sasha Zhoya by six-hundredths of a second. His winning time is the second-fastest in the world this year.
Ethiopia’s Freweyni Hailu narrowly surpassed American Nikki Hiltz to secure victory in the 1500 meters with a time of 4:06.96. The Women’s Short Distance Race Group is scheduled to compete in the 800 meters tomorrow.
Photo/AnnaHall/X
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