De Grasse's Grand Slam Track participation a signal that it's worth answering the series' call
Canadian star's debut delivers much-needed profile to Miami meet from May 2-4
What did I think of Grand Slam Track's inaugural event in Kingston, Jamaica?
Three f-words pop up instantly.
Fast.
U.S. standouts Kenny Bednarek and Melissa Jefferson were a few tenths of a second off their Olympic-medal winning form, but they're supposed to be. It's April. They both looked race-ready anyway, claiming GST's short sprint titles in the Sprint Capital of The World.
And if you didn't have fun watching Sasha Zhoya securing his sprint hurdles trophy with his surprise win in the flat 100, or seeing half-miler Emmanuel Wanyonyi outclass elite 1,500m runners in their best event, maybe you just don't like sports.
But, yes, like the rest of you, I noticed some flaws. The rows upon rows of empty bleachers on the back straightaway stood out to me as a piece of poor planning, but even a half-full stadium is useful feedback. YouTube views and social media engagements are a valuable metric, but paying customers are worth even more. Given lacklustre attendance in Kingston, organizers have a much better idea of the challenge they're confronting as the tour moves to suburban Miami next month.
The reality is more fans will sign up when more recognizable names do, which makes the commitments GST announced last week so encouraging.
Timothy Cheruiyot, the 1,500-metre silver medallist at the 2020 Olympics will contest the short distance races, while Keni Harrison, another 2020 runner-up, and the second-fastest 100m hurdler in history, will contest the short hurdles.
Enter Andre De Grasse
But Canada's Andre De Grasse, who joins the men's short sprint cohort as a Challenger, stands out as the blue-chip prospect in this recruiting class.
He has unmatched pedigree – 14 global medals, and national records in the 200 (19.62 seconds) and the 4x100 (37.48). And he brings much-needed profile to the event, which runs May 2-4 in Miramar, Fla. His U.S.-based competitors are track stars in their home country; De Grasse is a bona fide sports celebrity here in Canada, one of 189 countries where GST hopes to grow its broadcast audience.
The series' setup is novel and, understandably, uncomfortable for athletes who prefer to fine-tune their fitness and race modelling in closed-door practices, or in the low-wattage meets that dot the early spring schedule. That strategy is akin to a book release – you keep the creative process as private as possible, but are very public about unveiling the finished product.
Grand Slam Track, by contrast, puts high-calibre athletes in high-stakes races in April. This early in the season everybody is a work in progress, and the times reflect it. At his best, Bednarek is a 9.87 sprinter, but he clocked 10.07 to win the 100 in Kingston. Jefferson won the women's race in 11.11 seconds; she ran 10.80 at U.S. trials last summer.
WATCH | Michael Johnson discusses GST with CBC Sports' Morgan Campbell:
So GST's layout is more like reading early drafts of your favourite novel. It's less polished but fascinating in a different way. Between versions you can see what details change, which one remains, and how it all works out in the end.
What we've seen this spring hints that De Grasse will fit in at the Miramar event.
Two weekends ago he ran 20.32 to win the 200 metres at the Florida Relays at the University of Florida, where he now trains under veteran coach Mike Holloway. In the 4x100 he looked like vintage De Grasse, hitting top gear on the home straight, erasing a slight deficit and carrying Team Canada to a win that could set the tone for the season.
WATCH | Team Canada's victorious run at 2:38:
Whether De Grasse wins in Miramar doesn't matter. His presence adds depth, which is what GST is selling in its rookie season. A gap remains between their tagline (Only the Fastest) and their product (Many of the Fastest, with notable exceptions), but it will narrow when Cheriyuot, Harrison, and De Grasse line up.
But selling these events to fans is a slightly different task, and refining the broadcast product would help.
If early sales indicate a mere sprinkling of spectators on the back stretch, why not rearrange seating and cover the empty benches with tarps bearing sponsor logos? Revenue is revenue, whether you generate it with ads or earn it selling tickets. And if the bulk of viewers watching worldwide are anything like me, they would rather look at a billboard than vacant bleachers. It's less jarring, and sends the message that sponsors care even if local fans don't – yet.
WATCH | Grand Slam Track, explained:
But on the track, the upcoming events look promising.
Cheriyuot, Harrison, and De Grasse will line up in Miramar, and their presence might attract other big names to GST meets in Philadelphia and Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, incumbent star McLaughlin-Leverone, the 400m hurdle world record holder, and the GST Kingston long hurdles champion, has indicated that she'll contest flat sprints at an upcoming event. That move could deliver a main event that features McLaughlin Leverone, Thomas, Marileidy Paulino, and Salwa Eid Naser, which is to say it could bump GST closer to the U.S. sports mainstream.
As for on-site fan interest, VIP seats are already sold out for the final two nights of GST's Miramar event, more than two weeks ahead of schedule.
Yes, it's a smaller venue than they occupied in Kingston, but do you know what else it is?
It's a start.
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