Olympic 1,500m champion Cole Hocker and bronze medallist Yared Nuguse are set to spice up the inaugural season of Grand Slam Track in 2025 after signing up for the event.
The two, who join British runner Josh Kerr, silver medalist at the Olympics, will primarily compete in the ‘short distance’ category, and will race the 800m and 1,500m at each Slam.
Promoted by American sprint legend Michael Johnson, Grand Slam Track is set to be the most lucrative professional track league with winners of each race set to pocket $100,000 (Ksh12.9 million).
The confirmation of the American duo means the entire 2024 Olympic podium will race frequently in 2025 over 800m and 1,500m.
Hocker was the surprise winner of the Olympics gold in Paris when he clocked 3:27.65 to secure victory in an Olympic record and personal best, to became the fourth American man to win the 1500m at the Games.
“It’s truly an honor for me to sign with Grand Slam Track and I’m unbelievably excited for the future of this league,” Hocker said after signing up, as quoted by CITUS Mag.
“To have someone like Michael Johnson leading the way for our sport is amazing and it’s clear the sky’s the limit for GST. The opportunity to race against the fastest men in the world, like Yared and Josh, four times a year at our Slams, gives us as racers the chance to continue to challenge ourselves, and entertain fans across the globe. I’m ecstatic to be a part of this league and can’t wait to race at the Slams.”
Meanwhile, Nuguse admitted he did not need a lot of convincing to sign up.
“Joining Grand Slam Track was an easy decision for me because it does so much for our sport and the athletes. This represents a huge investment in taking our sport to the next level and allowing millions of track fans to see us race on a far more regular basis,” he said.
“Additionally, it’s much more fun for the athletes to be racing more often against consistently good competition. Coming off the back of Paris, I can’t wait to continue to push myself and clash with Cole, Josh and the other Racers who will join the league.”
Johnson expressed his excitement at having the top runners gracing his event.
“As we all saw this summer, the metric mile is back. Everyone watching the 1500m final in Paris was blown away by the drama of that race, with Cole and Yared ultimately taking home Gold and Bronze. Adding both of them to our stable of Racers, including Silver-medalist Josh Kerr, gives us the incredibly exciting confirmation of seeing that Olympic final again four times in 2025,” said Johnson.
“Grand Slam Track is committed to bringing fans around the world the most exciting roster of Racers possible and finding out who truly is this fastest. With Yared and Cole joining Josh, we’re delivering on that promise, and these three will form the foundations of an incredibly competitive rivalry for dominance across our four Slams.”
