Kenny Bednarek’s electric form continued this weekend as the two-time Olympic silver medallist blazed to a personal best and joint-world lead of 9.86 seconds to win the men’s 100m at the Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia.
Despite clocking the slowest reaction time in the field, the American stormed through the middle phases of the race to finish untouchable, raising his Grand Slam Track series record to a perfect 6-0.
The 26-year-old, long known for his prowess in the 200m, where he owns three global silver medals, including one from the 2024 Paris Olympics, has emerged as one of the breakout stars of the series. His 9.86s performance tied the world lead set just a day earlier by Ghana’s Abdul-Rasheed Saminu during the NCAA East Regional in Jacksonville, Florida.
Bryan Levell of Jamaica finished a distant second in 10.02s, with Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes taking third in 10.05s. Christian Coleman, who led at the 20m mark, faded to fourth in 10.12s, while Andre De Grasse settled for fifth in 10.15s.
Kenny Bednarek’s weekend dominance didn’t end there. On Saturday, he delivered a commanding victory in the 200m, clocking 19.95s in cool conditions with zero wind assistance, winning by a staggering 0.55 seconds margin.
His Philadelphia double adds to an already remarkable campaign in the inaugural Grand Slam Track series. With Alison dos Santos and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone both suffering defeats in Philadelphia, Bednarek now stands alone as the only undefeated athlete in the series heading into the final event in Los Angeles later this month.
As anticipation builds for the LA finale set for June 27, all eyes will be on Bednarek to see if he can complete a historic sweep and possibly lower his marks even further ahead of a busy championship season.
