The Olympic bronze medallist produces a staggering run in Philadelphia to go joint-10th on the all-time list
The final day of competition (June 1) at the third Grand Slam Track meet in Philadelphia concluded with explosive performances in the men and women’s 100m, held at Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. Both Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek delivered new personal bests and world leads in their events.
Jefferson-Wooden, who had already stunned the crowd the night before by winning the women’s 200m in 21.99 (1.1) — beating Olympic champion Gabby Thomas, who finished in 22.10 — returned to the track with confidence. Coming into the 100m as the reigning Slam champion from both the Jamaica and Miami legs of the series, the pressure was squarely on her shoulders.
Getting off to a blazing start, Jefferson-Wooden dominated the race from the gun, holding her lead down the home stretch and crossing the finish line in a staggering 10.73 (1.4). The time not only marked a new lifetime best, but also made her the joint-10th fastest woman in history, tying with France’s Christine Arron on the all-time list.
Tamari Davis finished second in 11.03, followed by Thelma Davies in 11.14. Gabby Thomas, after her runner-up 200m finish, came fourth in 11.16.
Shortly after Jefferson-Wooden’s historic run, her training partner Kenny Bednarek stepped onto the track, who also had the potential for a third Grand Slam title. Having claimed victory in the men’s 200m the previous day with a time of 19.95, Bednarek was aiming to complete the sprint double once again and stay at the top of the Grand Slam Racer of the Year leaderboard.
With a powerful and unchallenged start, Bednarek surged ahead early in the 100m and never looked back. He crossed the line in a blistering 9.86 (0.8), a new personal best and a mark that ties the world lead set by Saminu Abdul-Rasheed.
Jamaica’s Bryan Levell took second in 10.02, while Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes ran 10.05 to finish third, securing another second-place finish overall in the series standings.
The action didn’t stop with the sprints, as the men’s 1500m delivered one of the night’s most thrilling finishes. Featuring a loaded field that included three Olympic medallists and the reigning 800m Olympic champion, the race lived up to expectations.
Canada’s Marco Arop, coming off a 800m win and leading the overall standings with 12 points, made a daring move with 250m to go, taking the lead and stringing out the pack. But the pace soon shifted again, and with 100m left, it was Miami Slam champion Josh Kerr and Olympic gold medallist Cole Hocker battling side by side for the win.
In a dramatic final push, Kerr edged out Hocker at the line, clocking a season’s best of 3:34.44. Hocker followed in 3:34.51, and Hobbs Kessler was third in 3:34.91. Arop held on for fourth with a personal best of 3:35.38 — a crucial finish that earned him five points, enough to secure the Slam title and a $100,000 prize. Kerr finished just one point behind in the overall standings after placing fifth in the 800m the night before.
In the women’s short distance category, Diribe Welteji was crowned the overall champion after finishing with a perfect 24 points. After winning the 1500m on the first night, she followed it up with victory in the 800m, clocking 1:58.94. Britain’s Georgia Hunter Bell nearly caught her in the final stretch, finishing just behind in 1:58.99 in her season debut, while Australia’s Jess Hull took third.
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith clinched his second Grand Slam title, holding onto just enough points to top the standings. Having secured his first Slam victory in Jamaica, Hudson-Smith faced a challenging race in Miami due to a hamstring issue, but he bounced back in Philadelphia.
After taking the 400m title the night before, Hudson-Smith had to contend with the pressure of the 200m. He ended up finishing fifth in 20.70 (0.8). Alexander Ogando triumphed in 20.13, while Jereem Richards, Miami champion, finished second with 20.34. The race was so tight, even the commentators were unsure of the final standings.
Despite finishing fifth, it was enough to secure Hudson-Smith the Slam title and the $100,000 prize. Hudson-Smith will now set his sights on a potential third title when the league moves to Los Angeles.
Meanwhile, in the women’s 200m, Marileidy Paulino dominated the field, as she also had success in the 400m the previous night. With Salwa Eid Naser absent from the race due to a lane infringement disqualification in the 400m, Paulino seized the opportunity to claim victory in 22.46 (1.6). Isabella Whittaker finished second in 22.82, while Jessika Gbai took third in 22.85.
In the men’s Long Hurdles, Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos had to settle for second place in the overall standings. Although he secured a close third-place finish in tonight’s 400m, clocking 45.63, it wasn’t enough to reclaim the top spot. USA’s Trevor Bassitt dominated the 400m final, crossing the line in 45.57 to take the win and collect a crucial 12 points.
Bassitt’s strong second-place finish in the 400m hurdles the night before helped him claim his first-ever Grand Slam title. Chris Robinson finished just behind Bassitt in the 400m, clocking 45.62.
In the women’s Long Hurdles, it was a strong performance for USA’s Jasmine Jones, who took advantage of the absence of world record-holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who stepped down to the Short Sprints category for this Slam. Jones finished second in the 400m hurdles the night before and claimed another second-place finish tonight in the 400m with 52.73.
However, the standout performance of the night came from Great Britain’s Lina Nielsen. Running from the inside lane, Nielsen produced an exceptional performance to take the win in 52.60. Known for her strength across both the 400m hurdles and flat 400m, Nielsen’s victory moved her to third overall, after her sixth-place finish in the 400m hurdles. Andrenette Knight finished third in the 400m with 52.87.
With Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone opting to mix things up, she made her debut in the women’s Short Hurdles category, having previously dominated the Long Hurdles. In tonight’s 100m, it was Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent who claimed victory in a swift 11.11 (0.1), sweeping the Slam with a perfect 24 points. McLaughlin-Levrone, showcasing her speed, finished second in 11.21, securing second place overall for the category.
Meanwhile, in the men’s Short Hurdles, there was plenty of speculation about whether USA’s Trey Cunningham could repeat his Miami win, but the competition was fierce. Cunningham clocked 10.36 (-1.9) to win the 100m, but it was Jamal Britt’s who earned the top prize. Britt, who finished second in 10.50, claimed the overall Slam victory, thanks to his win in the hurdles the night before. Lorenzo Ndele Simonelli took third in the 100m with 10.52.
In Philadelphia, there was also change to the Long Distance category. Both the men’s and women’s long-distance groups now compete in a single 3000m race, rather than both the 3000m and 5000m. The adjusted format comes with a $50,000 prize for the winner of each race.
In the men’s 3000m, Grant Fisher, who had claimed victory in the previous two events, was absent after experiencing discomfort in the warm-up, leaving the field wide open. Nico Young seized the opportunity, finishing strong to claim the win in 8:01.03. Sam Kilman followed closely in second with 8:01.70, while Ky Robinson rounded out the top three in 8:01.92.
