Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Gabby Thomas dominated at Grand Slam Track's Kingston debut, kicking off the series with stunning wins.
Women’s 400m hurdles world record holder Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone eased to victory as the Grand Slam Track League launched its inaugural meet at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on Friday.
Olympic 200m bronze medallist Gabby Thomas also delivered a crowd-pleasing win bringing in early heat to the much-anticipated new track series organized by sprint legend Michael Johnson.
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Speaking after the race, Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, who clocked a flawless season opener with a time of 52.76 seconds, assured fans that there is more to come this season.
"Just shaking the cobwebs off," said McLaughlin-Levrone as per Reuters.
"Obviously that first one always hurts but I'm happy to be here. Great experience."
The four-time Olympic gold medallist McLaughlin-Levrone stormed into victory in her trademark smooth style in an event she has dominated since 2021.
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The American sprinter hinted at more to come this weekend as she prepares for the flat 400m on Sunday.
"It gives you energy, you feed off of it, and it helps you run fast," she said.
Earlier in the evening, Gabby Thomas lit up the track with a fluid sprint down the straightaway to take the women’s 200m in 22.62 seconds.
The win saw Thomas collecting 12 points in the first race in Grand Slam Track history.
The 28-year-old American will now turn eyes now turn to the 400m on Saturday, where she will face stiffer competition.
"I'm feeling good and confident going into tomorrow but obviously there are a couple heavy hitters in the quarter mile that I have to beat," said Thomas.
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In other women’s events, Ethiopia’s Ejgayehu Taye secured a solid victory in the 3,000m, while American middle-distance ace Nikki Hiltz produced a strong finish to win the women’s 800m.
The men’s 100m saw a nail-biting finish as American Kenny Bednarek edged Jamaica’s Oblique Seville by just one-hundredth of a second, clocking 10.07.
"It's my first time being in Jamaica and you can definitely hear the crowd, they're electrifying," Bednarek said.
"My block starts have gotten a lot better this year but that race didn't really show it. I ended up struggling. But a win is a win and I'm happy to be here."
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The men’s 400m was claimed by American Christopher Bailey, Brazilian Alison dos Santos triumphed in the 400m hurdles, and American Grant Fisher showed distance strength in the 5,000m to round out a strong showing for Team USA on day one.
Grand Slam Track has a prize pool of $12.6 million with the upcoming stops set for Miami, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.