Not solely will we be seeing Josh Kerr take a look at his velocity 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 right now signed to the Grand Slam Monitor League.
The brand new league, based by Michael Johnson, will host 4 annual Slams in main cities world wide in 2025. Athletes, often known as ‘Racers,’ shall be assigned to compete in two occasions throughout every Slam, and as a celebrated middle-distance runner, Kerr is predicted to compete throughout the 800m and 1500m – though this has not but been formally confirmed.
Kerr, who broke the two-mile world document 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,” mentioned 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, an important 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 world wide. I sit up for going through the most effective on this planet 4 occasions a yr.”
The concentrate on the league is to incorporate the quickest and greatest athletes in every race group, producing fierce rivalries and aggressive racing.
A well known rivalry on this planet of athletics is between Kerr and the reigning Olympic 1500m champion, Jakob Ingebrigtsen. Kerr just lately beat the Norwegian as he took down Steve Cram’s 39-year-old British mile document on the Prefontaine Basic with 3:45.24 in Might. Ingebrigtsen ran 3:45.60 to complete second after an injury-hit winter.
Josh Kerr (Jan Figueroa)
Though Ingebrigtsen has not but dedicated to the Grand Slam Monitor League, his previous feedback on the Prefontaine Basic press convention means that he agrees with the league’s important focus.
“All of us feed off the engagement and enthusiasm, particularly from the group and the media and every thing. If we’re solely saving that for one race or two races of the season, the entire level vanishes,” Ingebrigtsen mentioned.
Grand Slam Monitor can have a complete of $12.6m of prize cash that shall be awarded throughout the Slams annually along with the bottom compensation and look charges paid to racers.
The winner of every Slam group will take house $100,000 in prize cash and the eighth place competitor will earn $10,000.
Michael Johnson (Grand Slam Monitor)
Los Angeles will function the worldwide house for Grand Slam Monitor, and host one of many Slam occasions. There shall be one additional Slam that may happen in the USA and one other two in worldwide areas.
“I’m excited to announce Josh Kerr as a GST Racer, and add such a gifted competitor to our roster,” mentioned Michael Johnson. “Josh will present the world his unbelievable velocity on the Olympics this summer time, however we already know he is likely one of 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 massively necessary announcement for our league.”
Discover out extra concerning the Grand Slam Monitor League right here
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