By Kazeem Ugbodaga
Kenny Bednarek produced the biggest individual victory of his career on Saturday, storming to the men’s 100m title at the inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
The American clocked a season-best 9.85 seconds to edge reigning world champion Oblique Seville of Jamaica, who finished second in 9.90 seconds. American Ronnie Baker completed the podium in 9.93, narrowly beating Nigeria’s Kayinsola Ajayi, who also ran 9.93.
Bednarek’s victory was particularly significant because the 200m specialist had built much of his international reputation around silver medals.
The two-time Olympic silver medallist finally converted his consistency at the highest level into a major individual 100m championship victory in Budapest.
The American made the decisive move in the latter stages of the race, holding off a tightly packed field to cross the line first in 9.85.
Seville, who entered the competition as the reigning world champion and one of the fastest 100m runners of the season, was unable to reproduce his winning form from the 2025 World Championships.
Seville had been one of the biggest favourites for the inaugural Ultimate title. He arrived in Budapest after a strong season that included a 9.82 personal best and a Diamond League final victory in Brussels. He had also clocked 9.90 or faster in each of his previous seven 100m races.
But Bednarek delivered when it mattered most.
His 9.85 was also his best time of the season and gave the United States a clean sweep of the inaugural Ultimate Championship’s blue-riband 100m events. Earlier, Melissa Jefferson-Wooden had won the women’s 100m in 10.62, defeating Olympic champion Julien Alfred and fellow American Sha’Carri Richardson.
For Nigeria, Ajayi’s fourth-place finish was another encouraging performance against a world-class field. The 22-year-old had entered the competition as one of the leading contenders after an impressive season and was among the athletes expected to challenge Seville and the Americans. World Athletics had identified him as a major contender before the final.
Ajayi finished just four thousandths of a second behind Baker, with Baker’s 9.93 recorded as 9.923 compared with Ajayi’s 9.927.
Behind them, Christian Coleman finished fifth in 9.94, South Africa’s Gift Leotlela sixth in 9.98, Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo seventh in 10.07 and South Africa’s Akani Simbine eighth in 10.09.
The result capped a dramatic sprint showdown at the National Athletics Centre, where the inaugural Ultimate Championship brought together leading athletes from across the world in a compact three-day competition.
Bednarek will not have much time to celebrate, however. He is also entered in the men’s 200m, meaning he is attempting an ambitious sprint double at the new championship. Tebogo is likewise contesting both events.
The Ultimate Championship carries a record $10 million prize pool, making it the richest single track and field event, while its format was designed to put the world’s best athletes directly into high-stakes clashes without traditional heats.
Dear Vows
