Thomas Sets 400m Personal Best to Claim $100K at Kingston Grand Slam

Reigning 200m Olympic champion, American Gabby Thomas, was crowned Slam Champion despite finishing second in the 400m with a personal best of 49.14 seconds, saying, “This was a really important meet for me. There’s nothing like celebrating here in Kingston.”

Gabby Thomas celebrates her win in Kingston slam (Photo: Grand Slam Track)

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas walked away with US$100,000 after being crowned the Slam Champion at the inaugural Grand Slam Track event held Saturday night in Kingston, Jamaica.

The American sprinter set a personal best of 49.14 seconds in the 400m and had earlier claimed victory in the 200m on Friday. Her combined results earned her a total of 20 points, securing the overall win.

“This was a really important meet for me,” Thomas said after the event. “Grand Slam is huge in the sport of track and field, and I heard the announcer the entire way saying the $100K was on the line, so I really had to fight tooth and nail for that.”

Commenting on the unprecedented prize money, the reigning Olympic 200m bronze medalist added, “This is the biggest prize pot we’ve ever had in the sport, so the stakes were high. I know it’s early in the season, but we all want to win.”

Thomas, whose father is Jamaican, also shared a special moment with relatives in the stands. “There’s nothing like celebrating here in Kingston with that fanbase and my family. The energy in here today was incredible — that was really exciting.”

Bahrain’s Salwa Eid Naser won the 400m in a world-leading 48.67 seconds, setting a new stadium record and earning US$50,000 for her second-place finish overall with 17 points, after placing fourth in the 200m.

Jamaica’s Stacey-Ann Williams clocked 50.12 seconds for fifth in the 400m and finished sixth overall with six points, collecting US$15,000. Fellow Jamaican Nickisha Pryce placed sixth in the race with a time of 50.92.