The Brit celebrated in style after he earned 12 points in Florida and finished ahead of Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse
Josh Kerr returned to his winning ways at the Grand Slam Track event in Miami on Friday (May 2), securing victory in the men’s 1500m with a season’s best time of 3:34.51.
The Olympic silver medallist surged in the final 100m, overtaking Cole Hocker, Yared Nuguse and Marco Arop to clinch the win. This performance marked a significant improvement from his seventh place in Kingston, where he earned only five points. In Miami, Kerr has already more than doubled his point total, earning 12 points for his 1500m win.
The Olympic podium trio from the 2024 Paris Games maintained their positions in Miami, albeit in a different order. Yared Nuguse, the Olympic silver medallist, secured second place with a time of 3:34.65, while Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker finished third in 3:34.79.
Marco Arop, who was well placed at the bell close behind Kerr, Hocker and the leader Nuguse, placed seventh with a personal best of 3:35.95. Tokyo silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot finished sixth in 3:35.61.
Reflecting on his performance, Kerr said: “It’s a whole new style of racing. It took us all probably a little bit of time to understand the concept of it and racing like that is different. You got to be patient and you’ve got to be confident versus can you run the red line for as long as possible.
“I had to come in with slightly different tactics and it ended up working today. It will change for the next few Slams I’m sure but that’s what’s exciting. Hopefully it’s exciting for you guys to watch.
“I wasn’t thinking about the final lap until I got there. I felt like my positioning with 450m to go, I came into a solid position. Obviously, not flying too much on that back stretch because of the wind. A lot of emotion came out at the end there and it’s mostly due to not having the best winter, being a little bit behind but knowing that I’m back now.”
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Olympic champion Masai Russell delivered a historic performance, clocking a wind-legal (2.0) 12.17, the second-fastest time in history and a new American record. She edged out Tia Jones, who set a personal best of 12.19, putting her third on the all-time list.
Russell’s victory was a redemption of sorts after a disappointing sixth place in Kingston, where she clocked 12.78.
She said: “I wasn’t expecting that. I always tell you all when it’s time for me to run fast, I love to run fast. I just went out there to compete.
“I wouldn’t say it’s revenge. The conditions weren’t on my side in Kingston, personally speaking. Today, I know if I had the wind to my back I’m very competitive against anybody in the world. I wanted to do better than I did at Kingston, that was the goal.
“I was talking about it all week that I want to get to 12 points because it’s going to set me up and I got the 12 points. It just shows me how much I can look forward to for the rest of the season. It means everything.”
In the men’s 3000m, Ireland’s Andrew Coscoran delivered an upset, narrowly defeating Olympic 5000m and 10,000m bronze medallist Grant Fisher in the final stages. The race was a slow and tactical race as Coscoran made his move in the closing metres to secure the win and clock a time of 8:17.56, with Fisher crossing the line close behind him in 8:17.60.
With 400m to go it was Brits George Mills and Sam Atkin leading the pack. Mills stayed in contention the whole way round the final lap and finished third in 8:17.77. Atkin was eighth in 8:21.35.
Fisher earned the Grand Slam title in Kingston and will be determined to win the 5000m, his more favourable event, on Sunday in order to win again in Miami.
Just one week after setting a women’s-only world 10km record with a stunning 29:27 in Herzogenaurach, Kenya’s Agnes Ngetich showed no signs of fatigue as she added another victory to her season, this time in the women’s 5000m in Miami. In a thrilling finish, Ngetich edged out Ethiopia’s Medina Eisa, who had stayed right on her heels throughout the race.
Ngetich led for the majority of the race, at one point even motioning for Eisa to take the lead as the two broke away from the rest of the field. Eisa responded with a strong push in the final stages, but it was Ngetich who had the sharper finishing kick, securing the win and the full 12 points in Miami.
In the Short Sprints, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden continued her dominance, following up her Kingston win with another powerful display in Miami, taking the women’s 100m in 10.75 (2.4). Tamari Davis of the US took second in 10.79, narrowly ahead of Favour Ofili and Gabby Thomas.
Thomas, who had previously claimed victory in the Long Sprints (200m/400m) in Kingston, opted to step down in distance and contest the 100m this time, finishing in 10.97. Meanwhile, Britain’s Daryll Neita placed eighth with 11.16, but she’ll be looking for a stronger showing in the 200m on Saturday.
The men’s 200m in the Long Sprints category produced one of the most dramatic finishes of the evening. Jereem Richards of Trinidad & Tobago and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic both clocked 19.86, but it was Richards who narrowly edged ahead at the line to claim the win and set a world-leading time. Ogando still had reason to celebrate, setting a national record for his country.
Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith, who won the $100,000 prize in Jamaica with a standout performance, had a quieter outing in Miami. He finished seventh in the 200m in 20.64 but is expected to bounce back in his specialist event, the 400m, on Sunday evening.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, Olympic bronze medallist Alison Dos Santos of Brazil demonstrated his class, taking the win in 47.97 ahead of Chris Robinson and Malik James-King.
The women’s 400m also delivered a tight and exciting finish, with Marileidy Paulino holding off Salwa Eid Naser to win in 49.21 to Naser’s 49.33. Great Britain’s Amber Anning opened her outdoor season with a seventh place, clocking 50.85.
