Olympian Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track and the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) have announced a partnership ahead of the inaugural event starting this weekend in Kingston.

The events will feature Olympians and world champions such as Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Gabby Thomas, Masai Russell, Josh Kerr, Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse, Kenny Bednarek and more. The competitors will race twice across three days, competing for the largest prize money pool ever offered in the sport with US$100,000 going to each winner.

Kingston was previously announced as host of the first of four Slam events April 4–6, with Miami (May 2–4), Philadelphia (May 30–June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27–29) as the other sites.

Commenting on the partnership, Johnson said, “We’re excited to officially partner with the Jamaica Tourist Board and bring Grand Slam Track’s first ever event to Kingston”.

“We know Jamaica has a rich history of excellence and speed in track, so bringing our inaugural slam to Kingston made a ton of sense. Partnering with the JTB allows us to create a first-class experience for the thousands of fans who will travel from across the globe to visit Kingston and celebrate the official start of Grand Slam Track with us,” added the series founder.

For his part, Director of Tourism Donovan White remarked, “This ‘Season of Excitement’ offers visitors the unique opportunity to experience the authentic heartbeat of Kingston. We are delivering the finest elements of Jamaican culture and sport through immersive, exciting and engaging events in partnership with organisers like Grand Slam Track. We look forward to the event and further collaborations ahead.”

Tourism Minister Edmund Bartlett is also excited noting, “As home to some of the world’s fastest sprinters and culture that is deeply rooted in the sport of track, we are honoured to welcome the inaugural Grand Slam Track event to Kingston. Following our annual ISSA Boys and Girls Championships, this event will continue the momentum of Kingston’s season of excitement this spring and keep the spotlight on our cultural capital.”