Josh Kerr joins Michael Johnson’s new Grand Slam Track League

The 1500m world champion is the second athlete to enroll to the league alongside Olympic 400m hurdles champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone

Not solely will we be seeing Josh Kerr check his pace within the 800m on the UK Athletics Championships this weekend (June 29-30) however followers can anticipate to see much more 800m races from him as he has as we speak signed to the Grand Slam Monitor League.

The brand new league, based by Michael Johnson, will host 4 annual Slams in main cities around the globe in 2025. Athletes, often known as ‘Racers,’ will likely be assigned to compete in two occasions throughout every Slam, and as a celebrated middle-distance runner, Kerr is anticipated to compete throughout the 800m and 1500m – though this has not but been formally confirmed.

Kerr, who broke the two-mile world file indoors this yr (8:00.67), is one among 48 contracted athletes who will race in any respect 4 Slams. He’s the primary British and European athlete to decide to the competitors after Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone was introduced on the league’s launch this month.

🚨 BREAKING 🚨

Welcome to Grand Slam Monitor, @joshk97! ✍️

Learn extra: https://t.co/ZgUj10lCf3 pic.twitter.com/XlL0O4Em6j

— Grand Slam Monitor (@GrandSlamTrack) June 27, 2024

“Making this announcement is extremely thrilling for me,” stated Kerr. “Grand Slam Monitor is the long run for this sport and I’m buzzing to be the primary British Racer signed to the league.

“Attending to work with Michael, a terrific of the game, is superior. He needs to shake issues up and alter this sport for the higher. He has put us athletes on the forefront of all his selections in creating the league.

“I can’t wait to get racing within the Slams and to placed on a efficiency for all observe followers around the globe. I sit up for dealing with one of the best on this planet 4 occasions a yr.”

The deal with the league is to incorporate the quickest and greatest athletes in every race group, producing fierce rivalries and aggressive racing.

A widely known rivalry on this planet of athletics is between Kerr and the reigning Olympic 1500m champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Kerr lately beat the Norwegian as he took down Steve Cram’s 39-year-old British mile file on the Prefontaine Traditional with 3:45.24 in Might. Ingebrigtsen ran 3:45.60 to complete second after an injury-hit winter.

Though Ingebrigtsen has not but dedicated to the Grand Slam Monitor League, his previous feedback on the Prefontaine Traditional press convention means that he agrees with the league’s principal focus.

“All of us feed off the engagement and enthusiasm, particularly from the gang and the media and the whole lot. If we’re solely saving that for one race or two races of the season, the entire level vanishes,” Ingebrigtsen stated.

Grand Slam Monitor could have a complete of $12.6m of prize cash that will likely be awarded throughout the Slams every year along with the bottom compensation and look charges paid to racers.

The winner of every Slam group will take residence $100,000 in prize cash and the eighth place competitor will earn $10,000.

Los Angeles will function the worldwide residence for Grand Slam Monitor, and host one of many Slam occasions. There will likely be one additional Slam that may happen in the US and one other two in worldwide areas.

“I’m excited to announce Josh Kerr as a GST Racer, and add such a proficient competitor to our roster,” stated Michael Johnson. “Josh will present the world his unbelievable pace on the Olympics this summer season, however we already know he is among the quickest males on this planet.

“We wish to have a various, worldwide roster of expertise for our 4 Slams, and having Josh on board is a vastly vital announcement for our league.”

Discover out extra concerning the Grand Slam Monitor League right here

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