The Grand Slam Track is finally on the way. Per the league authority, the roster of 48 champions is ready. The prompt approach has segmented the classes as well. Meanwhile, the hosts are putting the finishing touches on the arrangements. Also, ticket sales are in full swing. However, there are problems, and the track and field sports enthusiasts might call them massive. Want to know? 

Do you remember the dates of the Grand Slam Track? With the $100,000 grand prize for each Slam, the track contest will be staged on four dates and four different venues. The inaugural episode will come to Jamaica, scheduled from April 4 to 6, 2025. The next episode will go to Miami and the dates are from May 2 to May 4. The third one will be in Franklin Field, Philadelphia. Dates? From May 30 to June 1. Subsequently, the anchor leg will be in Los Angeles’ Drake Stadium. And here comes the problem with the dates. 

The GST anchor leg will take place from June 27 to 29 in Los Angeles. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, St. Andrew in Jamaica will be hosting another track and field event. What is it, you ask? According to the Jamaican Athletics calendar, the JAAA/Puma National Junior & Senior Championships are scheduled for June 26 to 29. So what does that mean? The GST champions list features several athletes from Jamaica.

So, the clash of dates of the contests will leave only a choice for those Jamaican athletes to accept. They can choose between a $400,000 prize or competing in the Jamaican Nationals. Furthermore, there might come another similar situation. 

On May 24 and 31, the National Stadium in St. Andrew will host JAAA WA Championships Preparation camps. In the meantime, Franklin Field in Philadelphia will host the third leg of the Grand Slam Track league from May 30 to June 1. So another coincidence? It surely seems like that. On the other hand, the list of champions in the league boasts of having names like Oblique Seville, Rushell Clayton, and Ackera Nugent. Nonetheless, in the coming days, these athletes might find themselves in a complicated situation regarding making a final call on their preference. The situation might pose as complex as the Kingston Stadium in Jamaica itself has been chosen as a venue in GST. 

Not just that, Michael Johnson, the league commissioner, felt overjoyed while announcing the iconic Jamaican stadium as a GST venue. “We are thrilled to be bringing Grand Slam Track to Kingston. Jamaica has such a strong history in this sport. The talent and the love for the sport here make it a perfect fit for what we’re building. It’s going to be an incredible event, and we’re proud to have Kingston as one of our four Slams in our inaugural season to kick this whole thing off,” he said. Now it appears that the Jamaican athletes may need to find a solution to prevent the scheduling conflict. But is there something the Jamaican Track and Field Sports Authority can do? 

The Jamaican Track and Field Sports Authority has an option to avoid the problem 

The authority of Grand Slam Track has yet to make a call on the issue. However, the controlling board of the league already took a huge time to announce the schedules. Meanwhile, the inaugural event is just months away. So shifting anything or making a change in the routine might be a tough job for the bigwigs of GST. But is there any option for the Jamaican track and field authority to delay or postpone anything? Certain track and field fans think that there is a way out and the Jamaican authority will have to take the responsibility to make room. 

The JAAA/Puma National Junior & Senior Championships might have a free date after June 29. As per the schedule, on July 5, the Prefontaine Classic will come to Eugene. So between June 30 and July 3, given July 4 as the rest day. In that way, the Jamaican athletes will get a chance to perform in every contest. Additionally, they will not have to drop their chances of earning big in that schedule. As of now, the ball is in the Jamaican authority’s court to make a call. Do you have any take on the issue? Let us know.