PHILADELPHIA, PA – As momentum from a sold-out Miami Slam echoes across the track and field world, Grand Slam Track, the ground-breaking professional league launched by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson, sets its sights on Franklin Field for its next epic installment: the Philadelphia Slam, scheduled for May 30–June 1.
With 12 more Slam Champions to be crowned—each claiming $100,000 and racing for global glory—the Philadelphia Slam promises to deliver drama, rivalry, and speed like never before.
McLaughlin-Levrone’s professional 100m debut to ignite the track
The headline-grabbing announcement from Grand Slam Track: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Slam Champion and Olympic icon, will step into uncharted territory by contesting the 100m hurdles professionally for the very first time.
Joining McLaughlin-Levrone in the Women’s Short Hurdles Race Group is a fierce line-up that guarantees fireworks. Ackera Nugent, fresh off her victory at the Miami Slam, and Danielle Williams, the reigning Kingston Slam Champion and two-time World Champion, complete a historic first: three Slam Champions racing head-to-head in the same event.
Adding international firepower is Swiss sensation Ditaji Kambundji, making her Grand Slam Track debut. A rising force on the world stage, Kambundji brings a resume that includes a 2025 World Indoor silver medal (60mH) and 2024 European Championships silver (100mH).
“We’re not just watching races. We’re witnessing the evolution of track and field as a true professional sport,” said Grand Slam Track CEO and visionary Michael Johnson.
Thomas vs. Jefferson-Wooden: Rivalry renewed in short sprints
In what promises to be one of the fiercest rematches of the season, Gabby Thomas and Melissa Jefferson-Wooden will clash again in the Women’s Short Sprints Race Group. Their last showdown at the Miami Slam ended in heartbreak for Thomas, who fell just one point short (18–17) of the title.
Now, with the fire of unfinished business and the hunger for redemption, Thomas returns to Philadelphia aiming to claim her second Slam Championship. The Harvard-educated star previously seized the Women’s Long Sprints title in Kingston, proving she’s a contender across distances.
Men’s short hurdles: Titans collide in international showdown
The Men’s Short Hurdles Race Group brings together four elite athletes from three nations in a race destined to shake the leaderboard.
Returning Slam Champion Trey Cunningham, silver medalist at the 2022 World Championships, will look to defend his crown against a formidable field led by Cordell Tinch, the current world leader in the 110m hurdles (12.87).
Also making their Grand Slam Track debuts are Europe’s elite: Jakub Szymański of Poland, the 2025 European Indoor gold medalist (60mH), and Lorenzo Simonelli of Italy, fresh from sweeping gold in the 110m hurdles and 4x100m relay at the 2024 European Championships and earning silver at the World Indoors.
Global all-stars descend on Philadelphia
These newly announced Challengers join an already electric roster of 48 elite Racers competing in Philadelphia, including:
Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Kenny Bednarek, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, Grant Fisher, Sasha Zhoya, Marileidy Paulino, Salwa Eid Naser, Alison dos Santos, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Nikki Hiltz, Masai Russell, Alexis Holmes, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Josh Kerr, Oblique Seville, Ackera Nugent, Roshawn Clarke, Rushell Clayton, Nickisha Price, Cyréna Samba-Mayela, Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, Jereem Richards, Ronald Kwemoi, Agnes Ngetich, Muzala Samukonga, Jess Hull, Marco Arop, and many more.
As anticipation builds, the Philadelphia Slam is shaping up to be not just a sporting spectacle—but a cultural moment redefining how track and field is seen, celebrated, and contested on a global stage.
