Today, before entering the 200m event at the Diamond League final in Brussels, Letsile Tebogo had five straight victories in the men’s 200m sprint event. Undoubtedly, that also included his victory in the Stade de France during the Paris Olympics—the same race that witnessed the Motswana overpowering Kenny Bednarek. But after more than a month, the table has turned today. The American sprinter has achieved his supremacy over Tebogo, coming into the season finale of outdoor short-course sprinting. Such lofty achievement is bound to make someone outspoken. 

But Kenny is not among those. Rather, after defeating the reigning Olympic champion in the 200m event, he sounded more confident. In his post-race conversation in the mixed zone, the American sprinter shared a few words on that emotional state. 

In the conversation, Kenny explained that because of his facing a few injuries the previous seasons, a foolproof result might not have been possible in that duration. But this season, his thorough performances made the audience believe in his mettle. In the coming season, he would touch a higher ceiling. That ambition led him to share, “This season people saw a glimpse of what I can do. It’s not a breakout year; this is something that I was supposed to be doing. Next year I will even be faster and more dangerous.” That sounded like a challenge to his opponents. 

Away from the track, Kenny Bednarek has not been ever counted among the brass characters. Rather, his calm demeanor has often made his fans not realize the fire burning in him. But today he displayed a glimpse of it, not just by his performance, but also by the headband he chose today. 

Just like Noah Lyles, Kenny also shares a deep fandom for the Japanese anime series. His avatars, posted on X and the headbands worn in the races exemplify that love. Today he took up the colorful headband, resembling the character All Might from “My Hero Academia.” The character is known for the brave phrase, “Go beyond, plus extra!” Today, Kenny flaunted the same mood in reclaiming his 2022 Diamond League title. Furthermore, his afterward words have reflected on the goal that he already set for him. 

Kenny Bednarek aims for what Noah Lyles had in Budapest 

Last year at the Budapest World Athletics Championships, Noah Lyles and Letsile Tebogo engaged themselves in fiery battles on the track. While Noah snagged three gold medals, Letsile collected one silver and one bronze. Now, humbling the reigning Olympic champion, Kenny Bednarek feels confident enough to achieve his goal, which he set after the Paris Olympics. 

With two individual Olympic silver medals hanging around his neck, Kenny now wants to snag three hardware from the LA 2028, as his compatriot claimed in the Hungarian capital in 2023. After the Paris Olympics, via an X-post, the 25-year-old noted, “Competing in three events this year has taught me so much, and it’s only fueled my hunger for more. LA 2028 is in my sights and I’m aiming for one thing: 3 gold medals.” Moreover, he mentioned that his nationalism motivates him to go beyond his limits every time. Hopefully, he will find the same extra force in the LA 2028 Olympics as well. Now, today’s statement proves that Kenny Bednarek has already started his preparation for the spectacular contest.