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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