Preparations for the 2026 Grand Slam Jerusalem athletics meet are in their final stretch ahead of the international competition on Thursday, June 25, at the national stadium in Givat Ram, Jerusalem. The event will bring 76 athletes from 29 countries to the city, alongside leading Israeli track and field competitors.
The international field includes athletes from the United States, Canada, Brazil, France, Greece, Ukraine, Hungary, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ethiopia and Uganda, among others. The standout foreign entries include relay squads from Ukraine, Lithuania and Poland, which will compete with full teams in the 4x100 meter relay and are also expected to enter individual events.
Israel’s top athletes are also scheduled to compete, including Blessing Afrifah, Jonathan Kapitolnik, Adva Cohen, Omri Sheif, Romi Tamir, Estelle Vellano, Menachem Chen, Yishai Ifraimov and Alina Drutman, as well as Mercy Afrifa and others. For the Israeli athletes, the meet offers a chance to race strong international opponents at home, in front of a local crowd, and to earn qualification standards and ranking points ahead of the European Championships, which begin August 10 in Birmingham.
This is the third consecutive year of the Jerusalem Grand Slam, which organizers say is becoming one of Israel’s key international athletics events. Last year’s meet produced a major highlight when Omri Sheif set an Israeli record in the 400 meter hurdles, clocking 49.82 seconds and breaking a 34-year-old mark. Organizers say this year’s program should again deliver close battles and strong results, while a family fan zone, interactive athletics stations and a transparent studio hosted by sponsor Eldan will also be open. Tickets are currently available through the Bimot website.
