Bad day for Kenyans as inaugural Grand Slam Track series got off in Jamaica

The inaugural Grand Slam Track series, organized by four-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, got off to a glittering start in at the Independence Park National Stadium, Kingston on Friday as many of the world’s leading athletes descended on Jamaica’s capital to take part in the lucrative series.

Big guns starred in the series opener with the likes of  World and Olympic champion Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, Nikki Hilt, Gabby Thomas, Kenny Bednarek, and Grant Fischer all dominating and winning their respective events.

However, it was a bad day in office for the Kenyan contingent led by  Olympic 800m bronze medalist Mary Moraa and World 10km record holder Agnes Ngetich as they faltered in their respective races. Moraa, the 2023 World champion performed dismally when as finished a distance eighth position in a time of 2:00.97 in the women’s 800m race.

In an event that saw six women dip under two minutes, USA’s Nikki Hilt (1:58.23) outsprinted Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji (1:58.29) to claim the victory. Australia’s Jessica Hull was third in a personal best of 1:58.58. Another Kenyan in the race, Susan Ejore, finished fifth after timing 1:59.26.

Ngetich on the other hand, opened her season with a second place finish in the women’s 3,000m race behind the 2023 World 10,000m bronze medallist, Ejgayehu Taye of Ethiopia. Taye outpaced the Kenyan in the last 300m and held on to cut the tape first in 8:28.42 with the latter coming home in second place in a new personal best of 8:28.75.