MIRAMAR, FLORIDA, May 2-4 — As Grand Slam Track visited the Miami area, fans were treated to a boffo meet where the battle for points — and the resulting large cash prizes — made for interesting viewing all around. Only three men were able to defend their slam titles from Kingston: Kenny Bednarek, Alison dos Santos, and Grant Fisher.
Short Sprints: In the 100, Akeem Blake got out best, but Bednarek soon joined him at the front. The two ran even with Jamaica’s Oblique Seville until Bednarek pulled away strongly in the final 20 meters. Though wind-aided at 2.4, Bednarek’s 9.79 made a statement. Seville (9.85) nipped Blake (9.85) for runner-up, with Zharnel Hughes at 9.87 in 4th.
“I knew I was capable of running times like this,” said Bednarek, for whom this was the first trip, windy or no, under 9.80.
In the 200, Bednarek ended the suspense early, jumping to an immediate lead and flying to a big win with his 19.84 world leader, the wind a negligible 0.2. Hughes ran 2nd in 20.13, the same time as 3rd-placer Seville, who PRed.
Bednarek, with no shortage of confidence after his double, stated, “I’m going to be dominant this year.”
Long Sprints: In the 200 on Friday, Panama’s Alexander Ogando ran an exceptional turn for lane 3, but Jereem Richards stayed close in lane 6. The two left the field behind as they dueled down the stretch, and Richards prevailed by inches as both clocked a world-leading 19.86 (wind 1.7). Matthew Hudson-Smith, winner of the last slam, finished last in 20.64, behind Jacory Patterson’s 20.55. Richards, who noted he was very ill before Kingston, said, “This is the shape I am in right now, not what I was in Kingston.”
In the next day’s 400, eyes were drawn to fast-starting Ogando, with Richards and Hudson-Smith hammering each other on the outside. By 300, Richards led, but Patterson in lane 8 found his stride and streaked to the lead, carrying it to the finish in a world-leading 43.98, handily defeating Richards (44.32) and Hudson-Smith (44.37). While Patterson celebrated his PR and a $50,000 payout, Richards took the top $100,000 prize.
Patterson said he has been working loading trucks for UPS till 4 a.m. each morning. “My goal was to come out here and make some money so I can just focus on training and quit that job.”
Short Distance: With the order switched from Kingston, the 1500 came first. Yared Nuguse took the field through the first lap in 60.57, then sped up to a 57.46. On the third lap, Marco Arop emerged from the pack to challenge, and the two battled through 1200 in 2:55.04. Coming off the final turn in a bunched pack, it was Josh Kerr who swept outside and sprinted best, his 12.50 final 100 giving him the win in 3:34.51. Nuguse ran 3:34.65, staying ahead of Olympic champion Cole Hocker (3:34.79) as Arop faded to 7th (3:35.95).
Surprisingly, Arop bounced back best the next day in the 800, moving to the lead immediately and putting the hurt on the milers who had hoped for something more tactical. He led through 400 in 51.63 and never flagged. That left the milers at the back of the pack where they stayed. The pressure on the final lap came from little-known Kethobogile Hainghura of Botswana, who closed well but couldn’t quite catch the Canadian, who won 1:43.69–1:43.75. Kerr only finished 5th in a PR 1:45.01, but that gave him a 1-point win in the standings over Arop.
“I’m a racer at heart, that’s what this was about,” said the victorious Scot.
Long Distance: Tactics were the key in the opening 3000, as no one had any interest in running a fast race. Fisher, using the same playbook as in Kingston, ran a calculated race, but had to deal with the finishing speed of Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran, a late add to the meet. It was Britain’s George Mills who led most of the final lap. Coming off the final turn, Fisher made a well-timed move that looked likely to succeed, but Coscoran came from farther back and in the final strides finally edged ahead of Fisher, 8:17.56–8:17.60. His final 200 took 25.78.
Coscoran said he knew the last 100 would be the key after watching the Kingston race on TV. “I made my game plan from there.”
Two days later, Fisher decided not to let the 5000 go down to the kick. With four laps left, he moved to the front and quickly built a gap that grew to 50m by the bell. Such was his lead that he eased up and beckoned to the crowd several times on the final stretch for his 13:40.32, his last four laps taking 3:57.57. Cooper Teare kicked past Coscoran for 2nd, 13:46.25–13:46.30.
“I wanted to turn this into a strength race,” said Fisher, who claimed his second slam.
Short Hurdles: Trey Cunningham brought his best, nailing his start while Sasha Zhoya, in the adjoining lane, struggled to get out well. Cunningham powered all the way through to tie his PR of 13.00. Zhoya recovered and ran down Freddie Crittenden for the second spot, 13.06–13.09.
“It’s been a hard two years to get back to where I was,” said Cunningham. “They definitely pushed me at the end.”
Cunningham did not relent on Sunday, blasting another PR to take the 100 in 10.17 to finish ahead of Jamal Britt (10.20) and Zhoya (10.36). With a perfect 24 points in the standings, he claimed the $100,000 slam.
Long Hurdles: Alison dos Santos had little trouble dispatching the field with a 47.97 performance, ho-hum for him. Roshawn Clarke stayed close for the first half before pulling up. On the final stretch, Caleb Dean held 2nd until he nailed the final barrier hard and dropped back. That left Chris Robinson in lane 1 as the closest pursuer. He finished in 48.92 to clinch 2nd.
Two days later, the 400 showcased dos Santos again. The Brazilian aggressively went to the lead and held it, with a solid margin at halfway over Dean and Robinson. On the final stretch, Robinson charged into 2nd but could not dent dos Santos’ lead. “I needed to come out with something special and I think I delivered it,” said dos Santos of his PR 44.53, which cut 0.01 off his ’22 best and helped him claim the overall prize.
MIAMI GST MEN’S RESULTS
¶ = Slam winner; earned $100K.
Short Sprints
100(2.4): 1. ¶Kenny Bednarek (US) 9.79w (a-c WL, AL) (a-c: =10, x A);
2. Oblique Seville (Jam) 9.84w; 3. Ackeem Blake (Jam) 9.85w; 4. Zharnel Hughes (GB) 9.87w; 5. Brandon Hicklin (US) 9.98w; 6. Benji Richardson (SA) 9.99w; 7. Jerome Blake (Can) 10.04w; 8. Andre De Grasse (Can) 10.05w.
200(0.2): 1. Bednarek 19.84 (WL, AL);
2. Seville 20.13 PR; 3. Hughes 20.13; 4. De Grasse 20.23; 5. Hicklin 20.40 PR; 6. J. Blake 20.40; 7. Richardson 20.62; 8. A. Blake 21.09.
Long Sprints
200(1.7): 1. ¶Jereem Richards (Tri) 19.86; 2. Alexander Ogando (DR) 19.86 =NR; 3. Muzala Samukonga (Zam) 20.23 PR; 4. Steven Gardiner (Bah) 20.37; 5. Ryan Zeze (Fra) 20.43; 6. Jacory Patterson (US) 20.55; 7. Matthew Hudson-Smith (GB) 20.64; 8. Bryce Deadmon (US) 21.01.
400: 1. Patterson 43.98 PR (WL, AL);
2. Richards 44.32; 3. Hudson-Smith 44.37; 4. Samukonga 44.56; 5. Ogando 44.78; 6. Zeze 45.21 PR; 7. Deadmon 45.52;… dnf—Gardiner.
Short Distance
1500: 1. ¶Josh Kerr (GB) 3:34.51; 2. Jared Nuguse (US) 3:34.65; 3. Cole Hocker (US) 3:34.79; 4. Kethobogile Haingura (Bot) 3:35.21 PR; 5. Peter Bol (Aus) 3:35.24; 6. Timothy Cheruiyot (Ken) 3:35.61; 7. Marco Arop (Can) 3:35.95 PR; 8. Tshepo Tshite (SA) 3:36.28.
800: 1. Arop 1:43.69; 2. Haingura) 1:43.75 PR; 3. Bol 1:44.13; 4. Nuguse 1:44.77 PR; 5. Kerr 1:45.01 PR; 6. Hocker) 1:45.13 PR; 7. Tshite 1:45.36; 8. Cheruiyot 1:47.12.
Long Distances
3000: 1. Andrew Coscoran (Ire) 8:17.56; 2. ¶Grant Fisher (US) 8:17.60; 3. George Mills (GB) 8:17.77 PR; 4. Cooper Teare (US) 8:18.08; 5. Dawit Seare (Eri) 8:18.73; 6. Ronald Kwemoi (Ken) 8:19.48; 7. Amon Kemboi (Ken) 8:20.16; 8. Sam Atkin (GB) 8:21.35.
5000: 1. Fisher 13:40.32; 2. Teare 13:46.25; 3. Coscoran 13:46.30 PR; 4. Kwemoi 13:46.35; 5. Atkin 13:47.84; 6. Kemboi 13:50.64; 7. Mills 13:52.11; 8. Seare 14:01.96.
Short Hurdles
110H(1.4): 1. ¶Trey Cunningham (US) 13.00 =PR; 2. Sasha Zhoya (Fra) 13.06 PR; 3. Freddie Crittenden (US) 13.09; 4. Jamal Britt (US) 13.10; 5. Dylan Beard (US) 13.24; 6. Daniel Roberts (US) 13.36; 7. Michael Obasuyi (Bel) 13.41; 8. Wilhem Belocian (Fra) 13.47.
100(0.7): 1. Cunningham 10.17 PR; 2.Britt 10.20 =PR; 3. Zhoya 10.36 PR; 4. Roberts 10.40 PR; 5. Beard 10.63; 6. Obasuyi 10.67; 7. Crittenden 10.68 PR.
Long Hurdles
400H: 1. ¶Alison dos Santos (Bra) 47.97; 2. Chris Robinson (US) 48.92; 3. Malik James-King (Jam) 49.43; 4. Trevor Bassitt (US) 49.49; 5. Caleb Dean (US) 49.90; 6. Khallifah Rosser (US) 49.97; 7. Ludvy Vaillant (Fra) 50.38;… dnf—Roshawn Clarke (Jam).
400: 1. dos Santos 44.53 PR; 2. Robinson 44.86; 3. Dean 45.18 PR; 4. Bassitt 45.31; 5. James-King 45.81; 6. Rosser 46.99; 7. Vaillant 47.22.
