American sprinter Kenny Bednarek showed he’s not just a 200m specialist, pulling off a dramatic late surge to win the men’s 100m in a nail-biting finish as the curtain came down on Day One of the Grand Slam Track Series at the National Stadium in Kingston on Friday night.

Bednarek, more commonly known for his exploits over the half-lap sprint, timed his finish to perfection, edging out Jamaica’s Oblique Seville in a photo-finish. The American clocked 10.07 seconds, just one-hundredth of a second ahead of the 2023 World Championship fourth-place finisher, who crossed in 10.08.

Great Britain’s Zharnel Hughes, the reigning European 100m champion, was third in 10.13, narrowly ahead of Jamaican Ackeem Blake, who was credited with the same time.

The race brought a fitting climax to a pulsating night of elite competition and capped off a successful launch for the new Grand Slam Track Series, which aims to redefine the fan experience and create consistent global rivalries in the sport.

With the crowd still buzzing from earlier world-leading performances by Alison dos Santos and Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400m hurdles and Nikki Hiltz in the 800m, the 100m showdown provided the fireworks to end the night on a high.