After dominating the Philadelphia stop of Grand Slam Track (GST), Melissa Jefferson-Wooden stood at the edge of a crowning moment. With five wins in six races and multiple victories over sprint rival Gabby Thomas, the 24-year-old sprinter had positioned herself as a top contender for the league’s inaugural Slam Champion title. In a post-race conversation with Olympic legend Sanya Richards-Ross, Melissa radiated confidence and joy. “I’m so so so so so so happy,” she beamed. “I feel like this is the perfect setup that I need for the year. Getting ready for the World Championships and things like that.” But… Just as Melissa’s momentum was building toward a climactic finish in Los Angeles, the league’s final meet was abruptly canceled. What was meant to be GST’s season-ending showstopper turned into a casualty of financial strain. Founder Michael Johnson revealed that staging the LA event at UCLA would have cost the league over $2 million—too much without a new investor. Low turnout in Kingston, shortened events in Philadelphia, and the weight of a promised $12.6 million prize pool across four stops left the league in crisis. Despite the disappointment, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden handled the news with surprising calm.Speaking to CBS Sports, the 24-year-old reflected on the cancellation with maturity: “It was kind of like, it was kind of a bit of mixed emotions. Like part of me was obviously sad, but I wasn’t like, oh, my gosh, it’s the end of the world. Like, I didn’t go to like, oh, my gosh, are we ever going to have this again? It was just kind of like, OK, if they’re canceling it, it is for a reason.” Her grace in the face of uncertainty spoke volumes.Grand Slam Track In Philadelphia – Day One Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the United States wins in the Women s 200 Meters during the Grand Slam Track series at the historic Franklin Field in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, on May 31, 2025. Philadelphia United States PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxFRA Copyright: xSTRx originalFilename:str-grandsla250531_npJr3.jpgThe report is developing…The post $300K Richer Melissa Jefferson Breaks Silence After Tribute to Grand Slam Track’s Collapse appeared first on EssentiallySports.