FRESH off an impressive run on the global circuit, Jamaican sprint hurdler Danielle Williams is set to return to Grand Slam Track™ competition at the Philadelphia Slam, taking place from May 30 to June 1 at Franklin Field.

Williams, the Kingston Slam Champion and two-time World Champion, captured the US$100,000 prize in April after topping the Short Hurdles Race Group in the opening leg of the series in Jamaica. She has since maintained her sharp form with a victory at the Xiamen Diamond League and a second-place finish in Shanghai.

Her return to the Grand Slam stage comes against a much deeper field.

She will face off with compatriot Ackera Nugent, who was crowned Short Hurdles Champion at the Miami Slam just last weekend. Nugent’s clinical performances earned her 18 points in Florida, setting up what could be a thrilling head-to-head with Williams for Jamaican sprint hurdling supremacy.

Also joining the fray is Ditaji Kambundji of Switzerland, the 2025 World Indoor silver medallist in the 60m hurdles and 2024 European silver medallist in the 100m hurdles. Kambundji will make her Grand Slam Track debut in Philadelphia.

Rounding out the blockbuster lineup is Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the two-time Slam Champion who is stepping down from her signature Long Hurdles category to contest the Short Hurdles. One of the most gifted athletes in the sport, McLaughlin-Levrone’s inclusion adds a new level of intrigue to what is already a stacked race group.

The Philadelphia Slam will mark the first-ever face-off between three Slam Champions: Williams (Kingston), Nugent (Miami), and McLaughlin-Levrone (twice a Slam winner). With Kambundji in the mix, the race group is expected to be one of the most competitive of the season.

In other marquee showdowns, Grand Slam Track™ has announced a high-stakes rematch in the Women’s Short Sprints, where Gabby Thomas will look to avenge her narrow Miami loss to Melissa Jefferson-Wooden, who edged her by one point (18–17) to take the Slam title.

The Men’s Short Hurdles Race Group also promises fireworks, featuring Cordell Tinch (the current world leader at 12.87), Trey Cunningham (Miami Slam Champion), Lorenzo Simonelli (World Indoor and European medalist), and Jakub Szymański (2025 European Indoor Champion).

The Philadelphia leg is the third stop of the groundbreaking Grand Slam Track™ series, founded by four-time Olympic champion Michael Johnson. Following strong ticket sales and crowd support in Kingston and Miami, the league continues to build momentum with its unique, athlete-focused format and high-stakes, winner-takes-all prize structure.

Twelve Slam Champions will be crowned in Philadelphia, with each walking away with US$100,000—but only one can rise from this loaded short hurdles lineup.