19.67 seconds—that’s all it took for Kenny Bednarek to claim the title of the Diamond League Champion! But running fast times has always been the norm for the sprinter. During the 200m finals at the Stade de France, he trailed behind Tebogo, who clinched the Olympic 200m Champion title with 19.46 seconds on the clock. The American had to settle for a second-place finish with 19.62 seconds on the clock back then. However, the tables had turned tonight.

It was Tebogo’s turn to taste the defeat tonight. With his time of 19.80 seconds, he had to settle for the second-place finish in Brussels, shocking the track and field community. In a post-race interview, the 29-year-old was asked how he feels when he clocks these insane times. “You know, I’m just finally living up to my expectations,” he stated. The sprinter isn’t too surprised with the results. “I mean, I’ve always had the talent to run these fast times in my sleep.” If tonight is any indication, we definitely believe him.

Kenny Bednarek pulled off a similar feat during the Doha Diamond League in May, clocking 19.67 seconds in the 200m event. He was the only man to record a sub-20 time. The previous world lead, Courtney Lindsey, barely missed the mark and trailed behind the 29-year-old in 20.01 seconds on the clock. Kyree King completed the podium with 20.21 seconds on the clock.

The sprinter continued, “Like I said, I’ve dealt with a few injuries over the past few years. So just to finally be able to hit some of these times that I know I’m capable of, it just means a lot.” A slew of injuries have nearly hampered his performances, the most recent being at the Silesia Diamond League. While it wasn’t a confirmed injury, many speculated that the sprinter looked tired and his legs looked heavy, leading to a third-place finish with his slowest time of 20.00 seconds. 

But now that he’s ended his season on a high, how does he feel about the next season? “I can go off the next year, running faster than this because I’m just scratching the surface right now. These races are feeling easier, and I’m getting faster.” With an added jolt of confidence after tonight, Kenny Bednarek can finally let go of his Paris Olympics nightmare. What went down on the purple tracks at Stade de France? 

The unfortunate tale of Kenny Bednarek’s Paris Olympics stint

After clinching a silver in the 200m event, the sprinter had another chance to claim gold in the French capital. But it wasn’t meant to be. He stepped onto the track one last time for the 4x100m event. Things already looked as grim as ever because Noah Lyles had to withdraw due to contracting COVID. Bednarek filled in for his compatriot instead and was confident they could break a long-standing curse that followed them. But if that wasn’t bad enough, things seemed to spiral.

Christian Coleman was quick off the blocks. While handing the baton over to the 29-year-old, a minor miscalculation led to him leaving his position sooner than needed. The two collided and almost dropped the baton. But even though they managed to fix the mishap, it was a little too late. Fred Kerley ran the anchor leg but crossed the finish line in 7th place. However, shortly after they got disqualified from the event, fans held Kenny Bednarek accountable. Will 2025 be a better season? Only time will tell.