Kenny Bednarek eyes Olympic glory after securing silver Budapest sprint double

Kenny Bednarek believes he has a clear plan for the Beijing World Championships and the Los Angeles Olympic Games. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

Kenny Bednarek is targeting gold at next year’s World Athletics Championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics after finally moving beyond his reputation as the “silver man”.

The American sprinter delivered a landmark double at last month’s World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, winning both the 100m and 200m. The achievement strengthened his credentials across both events after a career that has included two Olympic silver medals and two world championship runner-up finishes in the 200m.

Bednarek, 27, said those repeated second-place finishes had been difficult to accept despite confirming his status among the world’s elite.

“It’s one of the most important things to be somebody who’s always there, but it’s also a bittersweet situation because ... you’re clearly one of the best but not the best,” he told Reuters in a video interview.

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His focus this season was to improve his consistency, produce fast times and deliver when the biggest opportunities arrived.

“My goal was to make sure to put everything together when it mattered the most,” he said.

“Finally getting global championships, gold medals, it was a sigh of relief. You’ve probably heard people call me the ‘silver man’ and all that. So it was getting that stigma off of me and proving myself right.”

The headband-wearing athlete, known as “Kung Fu Kenny”, has also made significant progress in the 100m. After finishing seventh in the event at the Paris Olympics, he worked extensively on his start and clocked 9.85 seconds in Budapest, defeating Jamaican world champion Oblique Seville with Usain Bolt watching from the stands.

Bednarek identified his reaction time and block exit as areas that had previously held him back. Although he set a personal best of 9.79 seconds last year, he wanted greater consistency at the start of his races.

“My Achilles heel has always been my reaction time and sometimes maybe just not getting out of the blocks the way I wanted to,” he said.

“When we were going into this year, it was about being consistent and more intentional with what I was doing coming out of the blocks, not trying to sit in when the gun goes off.”

His 200m victory in Budapest, achieved against a field featuring 2020 Olympic champion Andre De Grasse and Paris 2024 gold medallist Letsile Tebogo, further boosted his belief. Bednarek completed four races across two days while securing the sprint double.

Kenny Bednarek won Olympic silver in 2020 and 2024, and a World Ultimate Championship gold in the 100m earlier this year. | Photo Credit: DEBASISH BHADURI

“Winning the 100m and 200m, especially in the fashion I did doing four races in two days, that made my confidence go through the roof,” he said.

“It’s something I’ve been trying to do over the last few years and I was finally able to. Knowing exactly what I did, the preparation and work I put in leading up to the races gives me a blueprint of what I need to do in the future.”

Bednarek now believes he has a clear plan for the Beijing world championships and the Los Angeles Games.

Competing at a home Olympics has added significance for the American, whose family will be able to attend the 2028 Games more easily. He also expects the absence of long-distance travel and jet lag to benefit his preparations.

“I think it plays a little bit of a role ... it’s in Los Angeles, so all my family members will definitely be able to go,” he said.

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“It definitely adds a lot more motivation, being able to win a gold or more than one. The whole of the US will be watching. I think it also would be a bit easier just because we don’t have to travel and deal with jet lag.”

For Bednarek, Olympic gold in Los Angeles would represent more than a sporting achievement.

“I think winning those gold medals will change my life and other people’s lives. A lot more opportunities would be open. We’ll see what happens.”

Published on Oct 06, 2026

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