While Grand Slam Track (GST) has faced its fair share of criticism, including sparse crowds in Kingston and Miramar and sharp remarks from Diamond League co-founder Patrick Magyar, dismissing the entire league as a “Grand Flop” ignores one vital truth that GST is revealing: performance doesn’t lie. Well, Coach Rob, a respected voice in the track and field space, recently took to YouTube to break down the Miami leg of GST, and in doing so, he highlighted exactly what the league is quietly — but powerfully — proving. His case in point? Melissa Jefferson-Wooden.

In a showdown loaded with star power, Jefferson-Wooden emerged as the surprise winner of the women’s short sprint group in Miami, edging out none other than 200m Olympic champion Gabby Thomas — not by luck, but by consistent, top-tier performances across both events. “Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, you know, edges it out seeing her come one, two, and I mean she knows what she’s showing,” Coach said. “Melissa Jefferson Wooden is her name now and needs to be put, you know. Certainly, if you don’t believe me, fine, then put her on the watch list, but you’ve got the women with the gold medals, and then you’ve got the women who don’t, and no, she doesn’t have a world or Olympic gold medal yet.” Have you realized the meaning yet? 

What GST is doing, according to Coach Rob, is stripping away the distractions — the hype, the historical medals, the popularity contests — and delivering a raw, unforgiving scoreboard. “You can’t win if you ain’t the best, you just can’t win that group,” he said. “I’m just being real; there is no funny business. Like, you might be good at one event, but the athletes who we expect to see at the top of the line when we get to the end of the year, for the most part…it’s gonna show up in the slams.” Need evidence to have a proper idea? 

Gabby Thomas may hold the Olympic gold, but in Miami, it was Jefferson-Wooden who walked away with the crown. Not just once, she did it twice (in Kingston and Miami). That’s not a glitch in the system. That’s GST doing what it set out to do: reward current greatness, not past accolades. And that might be the most uncomfortable—yet—necessary mirror the sport has been handed in years. So, love it or hate it, GST is forcing the track and field world to confront a simple truth: medals don’t guarantee dominance. Performance does. However, the same rule applies to the other two champions, who have reached another Slam title based on their performances. 

Two track and field champions earn their flowers by maintaining dominance 

Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Kenny Bednarek — two names that carry weight, legacy, and lately, a bit of controversy. But if there’s one place where speculation gives way to truth, it’s on the track. And in Grand Slam Track (GST), both athletes are letting their spikes do the talking loudly. How so? 

Well, Sydney’s journey into GST didn’t come without noise. As the reigning Olympic champion and world record holder in the women’s 400m hurdles, she entered the league with sky-high expectations — and just as much scrutiny. Critics questioned her limited appearances in the lead-up to Paris 2024, wondering whether her role as the face of Michael Johnson’s bold new league was more show than substance. But Sydney answered — with style.

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Just like in Kingston, she returned to her signature event in Miami and made it look effortless. Another win. Another statement. For all the talk about her schedule or visibility, what Sydney is proving is simple: when it’s time to show up, she delivers. GST isn’t hiding her talent — it’s spotlighting it.

Then there’s Kenny Bednarek. After a bittersweet Olympic experience in Paris, where he took silver behind Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200m, some questioned whether “Kung Fu Kenny” had hit his ceiling. But in GST, he’s flipping the script. Two meets, two wins — and in Miami, he didn’t just win. He roared. On Day 3, Bednarek blazed through the 200m in a world-leading 19.84 seconds (+0.2), reminding everyone exactly why he’s one of the most electrifying sprinters on the planet. So, what GST is showing us, again and again, is that talent rises when the pressure’s real. For Sydney and Kenny, this isn’t a comeback. It’s a confirmation. The critics talked. The athletes ran. And the result? Gold, glory, and maybe a bit of redemption.