Winning the top spot in track and field now means more than just a gold medal! Now, it means fame, breaking records, and a big money prize of $100,000 in prize money. Yes, you read that right—$100K! And the mastermind behind this game-changing move? The one and only Michael Johnson, who launched the Grand Slam Track League on April 4 in Kingston, Jamaica. Fast forward to game day, Gabby Thomas clinched back-to-back wins on Day 1 and Day 2. But it was as smooth as you see!
On Day 2, Gabby Thomas was taken down by a rival in the 400m. Yes, you heard that right—the Olympic gold medalist was beaten by a 26-year-old athlete. What a victory, right? Well, not so fast! The Olympic silver medalist from Bahrain, who pulled off the win, wasn’t exactly celebrating. Wait, what? Confused? Stick with me, because the backstory behind this twist is insane!
A victory that’s not enough without the World Record
It all started on April 5th when Gabby Thomas, still riding the high from her 200m victory the day before, lined up for the 400m final at the inaugural Grand Slam Track event in Kingston, Jamaica. But it wasn’t just Thomas who was ready to throw down. Joining her were some serious heavyweights—Salwa Eid Naser, the Olympic silver medalist from Bahrain, and Marileidy Paulino, the Olympic 400m gold medalist from the Dominican Republic. And drama? We got it.
As the gun went off, Naser didn’t waste a second. She shot to the front, showing why she’s one of the most feared competitors in the 400m. But Thomas wasn’t backing down—she stayed hot on Naser’s heels. When it came down to the final stretch, Naser proved unstoppable, crossing the finish line in a 48.67 seconds—the fastest time ever run before July.
Thomas, though, wasn’t far behind. She fought tooth and nail to grab second place with a personal best of 49.14 seconds. And sure, Naser took the win, but she wasn’t exactly doing cartwheels afterward. In fact, she was pretty hard on herself. “I… mad at myself. I was disappointed because I know I could do better,” Naser shared with Citius Mag. And while 48.67 is the fastest time of 2025 so far, Naser’s not ready to rest on her laurels. She has got big plans.
And that “something big” is the legendary 400m world record of 47.60 seconds, set by Marita Koch back in 1985. Numerous athletes have approached the obscure milestone including Sanya Richards-Ross who achieved 49 times, 400m races under 50 seconds although she failed to beat Koch’s record. But Naser has that fire in her eyes, saying, “I keep trusting in God. Hopefully I don’t like talking about that because of pressure, but if it happens, it happens.”
Although Naser was not completely satisfied with her race result but can’t ignore that she managed to defeat Gabby Thomas. But here’s the twist! The second-place finisher Gabby Thomas still secured $100,000. What? How?
Gabby Thomas’ smart strategy pays off with $100K payday
Although placed second in the 400-meters, Gabby Thomas still received $100,000 after her performance. People typically expect second place winners of GST to walk away with $50,000 but not for Gabby Thomas. Well, not this time! Gabby had a smart strategy going into the event. She first dominated the 200m, snagging 12 points for the win, then added 8 more with her runner-up finish in the 400m (49.14s), bringing her total to 20 points—the highest in the Long Sprints group. That earned her the title of Slam Champion and, of course, the six-figure payday. But Gabby wasn’t the only one coming out on top that day.
It was a great day for American athletes! Kenny Bednarek also took home $100,000 after winning the 100m and 200m double. His 200m victory came in 20.07 seconds, leaving Zharnel Hughes of Great Britain (20.37s) and Fred Kerley (USA) (20.39s) trailing behind. But it wasn’t just Americans claiming the spotlight.
Matt Hudson-Smith from Great Britain won big, too—taking second in the 400m and first in the 200m with a time of 20.77 seconds. Over in the women’s short distance, Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji bagged the win in the 1500m (4:04.51) and placed second in the 800m. It was truly a day of competition and big wins, with athletes from all over the world scoring serious cash prizes which track and field athletes don’t often get!
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