His name is synonymous with grit and glory for track and field fans. With multiple Olympic medals in his pocket, the 32-year-old is a 400m and relay specialist. You have him on your team, and he will run to the gold medal, no questions asked. Born on April 10, 1992, in New Orleans, Louisiana, this track sensation has carved out an impressive career specializing in the 400 meters. Vernon Norwood boasts a personal best of 44.10 seconds in the 400m, set at the London Athletics Meet, and has a trophy case that includes a gold medal in the men’s 4x400m relay at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Naturally, expectations from Norwood participating in the GST were sky-high, so how did it go?

Despite an enviable number of accolades, Norwood finds himself on the outside looking in at the lucrative Grand Slam Track (GST) series, a high-stakes platform offering six-figure paychecks. Well, in the Jamaica meet last weekend, the Louisiana native missed out on a $100k paycheck. Participating as a challenger, Norwood secured the 4th place in men’s 200m, clocking 20.92, and the 3rd place in men’s 400m, crossing the finish line at 44.70. However, he remains unfazed by his apparently disappointing performance.

On April 8, 2025, at 18:18 UTC, he took to X with a plea to his fans: “Alright Twitter family we 24 days away!! I need y’all to do y’all thing again! How many retweets to get in next @GrandSlamTrack ??” asking fans for upvotes to roof over threshold for his participation in Miami leg of Grand Slam Track. But can his loyal supporters rally once more to get him on the starting line?

The X post has already sparked engagement, with fans suggesting several retweets to get Norwood into the second leg of Michael Johnson’s Grand Slam Track. This grassroots campaign doesn’t just give the relay specialist a chance to compete—it shines a spotlight on track and field, a sport often overshadowed by mainstream giants like the NBA or NFL. With fans now rallying behind him, the question remains: will their retweets propel him to another GST appearance and a chance at that six-figure paycheck? How did he even get into the Jamaica meet? Let’s dive in

Norwood’s unique innovation has already worked

Well, Norwood’s approach is nothing short of innovative, and it’s a game-changer for track and field’s visibility. This isn’t the first time he’s turned to his fanbase for a shot at GST glory. Last time, for the GST Jamaica meet, he wasn’t part of the lineup either, but he made a similar call on social media, promising to participate if he hit a certain number of upvotes—a threshold that, while not specified in the data, was clearly met given his eventual participation. By leveraging social media, Norwood is proving that fan power can elevate the sport’s profile. 

His fans delivered, and Norwood secured a spot as a challenger in the GST event in Jamaica, which took place in Kingston, a city described as “the heartbeat of track—where the fastest are fortified.” The event drew massive crowds, with the website noting that “these fans know stars when they see them” and “will be loud,” highlighting the electric atmosphere Norwood competed.

Now, with the next meet just 24 days away on May 2, 2025,  he’s doubling down on this fan-driven strategy. The post has already gained traction, and hopefully, fans will get to see the relay superstar take on the track in Miami in less than a month’s time- and hopefully, with better results!