Ackera Nugent Shines at Grand Slam Track Philadelphia with Record-Breaking Wins

PHILADELPHIA, USA — Ackera Nugent starred on Saturday at Franklin Field, winning the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.44 seconds to kick off Day 1 of the Grand Slam Track Philadelphia. The Jamaican athlete faced a competitive field but secured her first win of the season. Tia Jones followed closely behind with a time of 12.60 seconds, while Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone finished fifth at 12.70 seconds, marking her first individual loss since June 2023.

“I wished I could remove myself from my body and watch the race, but I had to focus,” Nugent said. “She’s very competitive no matter what she does. I had to turn my excitement off, and I just had to lock myself into space.”

McLaughlin-Levrone acknowledged the challenges she faced during the race, stating, “I think the hurdle technique and just how quick they were coming up on me, I had to make some adjustments.”

In addition to the hurdles, Saturday’s competition saw facility records broken across all 11 events, with many athletes achieving personal or season-best marks in front of a large crowd. Melissa Jefferson-Wooden claimed victory in the women’s 200m with a personal best of 21.99 seconds, defeating Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, who finished second in 22.10 seconds.

“I knew if I wanted to win, I had to get out, get in front, and I controlled the race,” Jefferson-Wooden said. “And that’s what I did.”

Another highlight came in the men’s 110m hurdles, where Jamal Britt matched his personal best of 13.08 seconds to secure victory over Cordell Tinch, the fourth-fastest man in history over that distance.

“With us, anything can happen,” Britt remarked. “I would say this is the best generation of hurdlers, and I’m happy that I’m in it.”

The women’s 400m saw Marileidy Paulino winning with a season-best time of 49.12 seconds, remaining unbeaten in Grand Slam events this year. Paulino previously set a national record in the 200m this season.

“I prefer the 400 first. And then the 200, which is pretty much the way it’s set up here,” Paulino noted.

Matthew Hudson-Smith won the men’s 400m with a time of 44.51 seconds, marking his first victory in the 2025 Slam series. “There’s a lot of history here, so I was excited to race here,” he said.

In the women’s 400m hurdles, Anna Cockrell emerged victorious in 54.04 seconds during her Grand Slam debut. She finished ahead of Jasmine Jones, who clocked 54.65 seconds.

“It’s so fun running in front of a really, really engaged crowd,” Cockrell commented.

Alison dos Santos won the men’s 400m hurdles, finishing in 48.11 seconds. Middle-distance star Marco Arop took the men’s 800m title with a season-best of 1:43.38.

“I know I’ve got a target on my back,” Arop said. “I’m going to have to try to step it up for the 1500m tomorrow.”

Kenny Bednarek dominated the men’s 200m, winning with a time of 19.95 seconds. Diribe Welteji made Grand Slam history in the women’s 1500m, finishing in 3:58.04, just ahead of Jessica Hull, who timed 3:58.07.

The closest finish came in the women’s 3000m, where Agnes Ngetich won in 8:43.61, narrowly ahead of Ejgayehu Taye at 8:43.70.

“Winning in Miami gave me that energy to push,” Ngetich said. “We’re doing that toward the final Slam in LA.”

Day 2 of the Grand Slam Philadelphia continues Sunday, with full results and live updates available online.