Sprinter Kenny Bednarek, the winner of an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo 2020, was born on October 14, 1998. In the men's 200-meter final at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Bednarek finished in 19.68 seconds to win.
Kung-fu Kenny attended Rice Lake High School in Wisconsin, where he won seven individual state championships and led his team to the 4x400 relay title; he’s dubbed “Kung-fu” because of the headband he wears. He set a national record in a high school 200-meter event in 2018 with a time of 20.43.
Bednarek is the holder of the Division 2 100-meter record as well as the 200- and 400-meter all-class records for Wisconsin. Furthermore, he participated in school football as a wide receiver and kick returner, totaling 17 touchdowns. He later attended Indian Hills Community College in Iowa, where he set a record for the 13th fastest individual on the 200-meter indoor all-time list.
In 2019, he became a professional athlete with Nike. He claims that when he was in high school, 400 meters was his area of expertise, but he eventually switched to 200 meters. Bednarek won silver in the 200 meters at the World Athletics Championships on July 21, 2022, in Eugene, Oregon, with a time of 19.77.
What is Kenny Bednarek 200m record?
Kenny Bednarek’s 200m record is a 19.67 seconds win at the 2024 Doha Diamond League meeting.
On May 10, at the 2024 Doha Diamond League meeting, Kenny Bednarek won the men's 200-meter event, winning at a canter and recording a new personal best of 19.67 seconds; he is the fastest man in 200 meters in the world as of May 2024, after this.
As his competitors faded, Bednarek was the only guy to finish in under 20 seconds, even with a strong but legal tailwind of 1.7 m/s behind him. Along with setting a new meeting record in Doha, he also set a new world lead for the event in 2024.
Bednarek's speed was too fast for the previous world leader, Courtney Lindsey, who started the turn strong. In a USA one-two-three, Lindsey crossed the finish line more than three tenths of a second later, in 20.01 seconds, making him the second man home.
Erriyon Knighton and Noah Lyles, the gold and silver medalists in the 200-meter event at the 2023 World Championships, are also Americans. At the 2022 Worlds, Lyles, Bednarek, and Knighton led the United States to a clean sweep of the 200-meter medals.
Personal Bests of Kenny Bednarek
| Discipline | Perfor. | Wind | Venue | Date | Results Score |
| 60 Metres | 8.29 | +1.0 | AP Ranch, Fort Worth, TX (USA) | 20 JUL 2020 | 398 |
| 100 Metres | 9.89 | +0.8 | Hayward Field, Eugene, OR (USA) | 20 JUN 2021 | 1245 |
| 150 Metres | 19.22 | +2.9 | AP Ranch, Fort Worth, TX (USA) | 20 JUL 2020 | - |
| 200 Metres | 19.67 | +1.7 | Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium, Doha (QAT) | 10 MAY 2024 | 1272 |
| 200 Metres | 19.49 | +6.1 | Hobbs, NM (USA) | 17 MAY 2019 | 1266 |
| 200 Metres Short Track | 20.30 | - | Lincoln, NE (USA) (i) | 02 FEB 2019 | 1242 |
| 300 Metres | 43.74 | - | AP Ranch, Fort Worth, TX (USA) | 20 JUL 2020 | 331 |
| 400 Metres | 44.73 | - | Hobbs, NM (USA) | 18 MAY 2019 | 1199 |
| 400 Metres Short Track | 46.65 | - | Storm Lake, IA (USA) (i) | 16 FEB 2019 | 1130 |
| 4x100 Metres Relay | 37.40 | - | The Bahamas National Stadium, Nassau (BAH) | 05 MAY 2024 | 1273 |
| 4x200 Metres Relay | 1:22.16 | - | Prairie View, TX (USA) | 03 APR 2021 | 1138 |
| 4x400 Metres Relay | 3:02.38 | - | Mike A. Myers Stadium, Austin, TX (USA) | 01 APR 2023 | 1160 |
FAQ's On Kenny Bednarek 200m
A. Kenny Bednarek is an Olympic silver medalist sprinter, who went to Rice Lake High School, Wisconsin.
A. Kenny Bednarek is the Olympian from Wisconsin, who won the silver medal in the 200 meters at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
A. Kenny Bednarek is from Tulsa, Oklahoma, in the United States. He was born on October 14, 1998.
A. Kenny Bednarek's personal best in the 200 meters is 19.67 seconds at the 2024 Doha Diamond League meeting.
A. Kenny Bednarek is nicknamed "Kung-fu Kenny" because of the headband he wears.
