'Kung Fu' Kenny Bednarek Fired Up, Quietly, For ‘Sprint Double’ in Paris

He may not display the flamboyance and swagger that other confident world class sprinters strut, but Kenny Bednarek’s recent performances on the track speak volumes.

Bednarek is an Olympic and world championship 200-meter silver medalist, yet the 25-year-old sprinter from Rice Lake, Wisconsin, still flies somewhat under the radar amongst a deep and talented lineup of American fast men.

In fact, Bednarek wasn’t even mentioned beside nine other contenders in a USA Track & Field 100-meter preview, ahead of the 2024 U.S. Olympic Team Trials – Track and Field. Bednarek took to his Instagram before the marquee race uttering: ‘I haven’t received the interviews, airtime or hype like other athletes.’ 

The slight snub appears to be something that "Kung Fu Kenny" has thrived upon, adding fuel to his jet engine.

“I always show up, no matter what, but I don’t really get that much attention – I’m always the underdog and I love being the underdog,” Bednarek tells Team USA, in an interview during a training session in central Florida. 

“It doesn’t matter if I’m getting all the love; I’m going to be there all the time, putting my foot on the gas.”

The explosive, but steady 6-foot-2 sprinter accelerated big-time at trials, qualifying for his second Olympic Games in both the 100m and 200m races.

Bednarek dashed across the finish just a breath behind his ballyhooed U.S. teammate and 2024 triple world champion Noah Lyles, at both distances, in Eugene, Oregon. 

Lyles nicked runner-up Bednarek by .06 seconds in the 200m and by .04 in the 100m.

Offering perspective into his potential and possibilities pertaining to his bread-and-butter 200m at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, Bednarek commends the six-time world champion and Olympic bronze medalist.

“Noah set the standard and is the American record holder, so it’s going to take a lot to beat him, but it definitely is there,” Bednarek says. “It’s going to be a hot race, but as long as I’m across the finish line first, I’ll be happy.”

Bednarek – who considered himself a 400m specialist coming out of high school in Wisconsin and once ran a sizzling 44.73 – dazzled and surprised with his timely burst of speed at trials in the 100m. He clocked a lifetime best of 9.87 to Lyles' 9.83. 

“I know a lot of people were surprised, but it wasn’t a surprise to me – in 2021 (Olympic Trials), I ran 9.89 and got edged out by Fred (Kerley) that year getting fourth, so I already knew that the talent is there” Bednarek said. 

“Track and field is like what have you done for me lately, so a lot of people forget what I did three years ago,” he said.

Handicapping the blue-riband 100m in Paris is about as easy as leisurely strolling across the Champs-Élysées. Lyles clocked a personal best 9.81 at the London Diamond League meeting, this past Saturday, July 20, the third fastest time this season. However, the 23-year-old Jamaican Kishane Thompson is surprisingly on top, having exploded to a world leading 9.77 at home in Kingston. In June, Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala sped to 9.79 and Thompson’s countryman Oblique Seville 9.82, ranking them second and fourth. Italian defending Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs has recently returned to form. 

Lyles and Bednarek’s Paris 2024 Olympic teammate Fred Kerley is ninth-fastest time this outdoor season posting 9.88. Bednarek’s 9.87 slots him as eighth fastest in the world.

“I ran a 9.87 PB, but I’m still hungry and have a lot more in the tank,” Bednarek asserts. “I wanted to run 9.7 at trials, but I’ll have another shot to do it in Paris, show my talents and dominate.”

The Olympic 100m final will be contested on the visually appealing, non-traditional purple track at the Stade de France on Aug. 4.

In the 200m, Lyles’ 19.53 and Bednarek’s 19.59 in Eugene stand as the two fastest times in the world this Olympic season.

Bednarek led coming around the bend, but squandered the lead to Lyles over the final 20 meters.

“I was happy with my performance; I ran a PB, but I know I’m way faster than that,” Bednarek says. “It is just a matter of time putting it together.

“I’m healthy and the sky is the limit – I’ll try to throw a hot time and shock the world,” he says, naturally referring to the Paris Games.

Like at trials, Bednarek was .06 seconds shy of gold, while earning a silver medal at the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020. Canadian veteran Andre De Grasse edged him to become Olympic champion.

“I was pretty much a rookie then, but that was a great race for me,” said Bednarek, who was 22 at the time. “I was so close, almost had it.”

As the bright lights of Paris are illuminated, another delectable sprinting showdown is as likely as a fresh croissant for breakfast at iconic Café de Flore. The 200m final will be served up on Aug. 8, at the Stade de France.  

Twenty-year-old Erriyon Knighton will once again join forces with Lyles and Bednarek. 

Lyles, Bednarek and Knighton blitzed to a U.S. 200m medal sweep at the 2022 World Athletics Championships in Eugene. Lyles took gold, setting the current American record of 19.31 seconds. 

“I saw a poster of me, Noah and Erriyon as the ‘Three Musketeers,’ – we have the same team as in 2021,” Bednarek says, having led the trio to a 2-3-4 finish in Tokyo.

Team USA sprinters have swept the 200m medals on the Olympic stage before, two decades ago at the Olympic Games Athens 2004.

If the American trio can be as bold and sublime on the track like a fine glass of world class French Bordeaux off of it, the time may be ripe to savor yet another medals sweep.

“There is definitely a possibility that we could sweep – everybody is healthy, fresh and ready to go,” Bednarek says. “I believe we should get the job done this year.”

Prominently showing off his trademark headbands, Bednarek’s Instagram cartoons are colorful and whimsical, begging the question: How did the nickname Kung Fu Kenny come about?

“I wanted to standout as myself – the athletes all have their different personalities and I’m more of a quiet person,” Bednarek says. “I love anime and also Kung Fu, and it all ties together with me being humble and quiet, but I always get the job done.

“Kung Fu Kenny has a set of values that pertain to me which are humbleness, dedication, respect and discipline, and I want to live those values on and off the track.

“I’m here for the mission, I get it done, I go to battle, and I wear the headband, and that’s how Kung Fu Kenny came to be,” he explained. 

Never count out Kung Fu Kenny under the bright lights, especially in Paris. If he shines as he is more than capable, the humble Wisconsin sprinter will assuredly, finally, command the attention that he deserves.

Bedernarek tied for first with Kerley in the Round 1 heats of the 100-meter after running 9.97 to qualify to the semifinals. Lyles also qualified running a more conservative 10.04 to qualify in 12th place. The trio compete in the semifinals Aug. 4 at 2:14 p.m. ET.