U.S. Olympians Jasmine Jones and Shamier have signed with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025.

Jones wrapped up her senior year at USC with the NCAA indoor 60m title and NCAA outdoor 400m hurdles title. She ran personal bests in the 400m hurdles four times in the year, which culminated with a 52.29 performance for fourth place in the Olympic final – just .14 seconds shy of a medal.

Little is a two-time World Championship silver medalist in the 400m hurdles. At the Paris Olympics, she was part of the world-record setting mixed 4x400m relay and earned a silver medal in the mixed 4x400m final. She also led off the women’s 4x400m relay in the final with a 49.48s split before the team won gold in 3:15.27 – the second-fastest 4x400m relay of all-time.

In this episode, Anderson Emerole chats with Jones and Little to reflect on their experiences at the Olympics, break down why they signed with the league, why they’re excited for it, and what they’re looking forward to most heading into next year.

Host: Anderson Emerole | @atkoeme on Instagram

Guests: Jasmine Jones | @jasminemjones1 on Instagram + Shamier Little | @shambambino on Instagram

Time Stamps:

Jasmine Jones:

4:58 - Reflecting on the Paris Olympics.

6:13 - What her expectations were for this season + the Olympics.

7:19 - Why she decided to join Grand Slam Track.

8:25 - Thoughts on racing the 400m and 400m hurdles for GST.

9:54 - Why she moved up in distance from the 100m hurdles.

12:44 - Her perspective on racing for place vs. time.

13:36 - How she navigated a year filled with change.

15:01 - Staying composed before races.

17:04 - How she shifted her mindset from competing in the NCAA to the pro level.

20:25 - What she’s most excited about looking ahead to 2025.

Shamier Little:

23:21 - Reflections coming off her historic season.

25:00 - Biggest emotions and feelings from the Olympics.

27:08 - Mindset throughout the rounds at the Olympics.

29:15 - What she’s most excited about with joining GST.

31:57 - Thoughts on her GST competitors.

34:35 - What makes the women’s 400m hurdles so special right now.

38:08 - Racing with grit.

39:20 - How she plans on balancing her 2025 race schedule.

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"I’m actually very excited to sign with Grand Slam Track because I really enjoy racing. Time trialing is fun and all, but I’ve run 12:50 in the 5K, and there’s only so much of a difference between 12:40 and 12:50. I figure at this point in my career, it’s not the world record, I just want to compete and I just want to race."

Two-time Guatemalan Olympian and national record holder Luis Grijalva has signed with Grand Slam Track ahead of the professional track league’s inaugural season in 2025.

Grijalva joins Grand Slam Track as the third Racer in the “long distance” category that will contest the 3000m and 5000m at each respective Slam. He will be joined by 5000m Olympic silver medalist Ronald Kwemoi and 5000m and 10,000m Olympic bronze medalist Grant Fisher.

Grijalva finished fourth in the 5000m at the 2022 and 2023 World Championships and ran a personal best of 12:50.58 at the Oslo Diamond League in May. He owns a 3000m personal best of 7:29.43 from the 2023 Prefontaine Classic and finished third in the 3000m at this year’s Stockholm Diamond League in a season’s best of 7:33.96.

In this episode, Grijalva joins Chris Chavez to break down why he signed with the league, why he’s excited for it, and what he’s looking forward to most heading into next year.

Host: Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Guest: Luis Grijalva | @luisgrijalva_ on Instagram

Time Stamps:

5:01 - What he’s most excited about with joining Grand Slam Track.

7:47 - Perspective on championship racing vs. rabbited races.

11:19 - How GST will help prepare athletes for global Championships.

14:42 - Thoughts on GST’s prize money.

17:18 - Thoughts on his GST competitors + other athletes he wants to see join.

20:11 - What sets GST apart from other competitions.

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

2x Olympian and Canadian record holder Natasha Wodak is set to take center stage at the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon. The 42-year-old Canadian record holder returns to Toronto to race the marathon for the first time in 11 years and she's targetting her first-ever national marathon title.

She has had a rollercoaster journey over the past 18 months from attempting to qualify for Paris 2024 but falling short. Despite these challenges, she’s coming off a strong year and now she's approaching the TWM with a new mindset, enjoying the chance to race in front of family and friends without the pressure of Olympic standards.

With a personal best of 2:23:12, Wodak’s goal is to secure the Canadian title. Hear about the various chapters of her running journey, her love for training, and how she’s embraced the marathon’s challenges with resilience and determination.

LIVE from the 2024 TCS Toronto Waterfront Marathon Expo!

Hosts:

Chris Chavez | ⁠@chris_j_chavez on Instagram

Karen Lesiewicz | @kare_les on Instagram

SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS

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OLIPOP: For the past year, we’ve redefined Olipop as more than just a healthy drink known for its gut microbiome with a low sugar content and a much better alternative to regular soda. You know there are more than 16 flavors, including classic root beer, cherry cola, and lemon-lime. You know it as The Runner’s Soda. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get 25% off your orders by using code CITIUS25 at drinkolipop.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.