2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist Kenny Bednarek recently elaborated about his mindset ahead of the Paris Olympics. Bednarek will compete for the US Men's 100m and 200m team after registering solid performances at the US Olympics Track and Field Trials held in Eugene last month.
The Oklahoma native secured the second position in both events behind the six-time world champion, Noah Lyles, and registered run times of 9.87 seconds (100m) and 19.59 seconds (200m).
With the event set to start in a few days, Bednarek looked to inflict the final push during the preparatory stage ahead of the quadrennial event. He took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle to share a few glimpses of his final practice sessions and also mentioned about his recent block start session with a warning for his opponents.
He wrote in the caption:
"Reflecting in Paris. Training has been intense and I've never felt sharper or more motivated. A few days ago, I had the best block start session of my career - video on that coming soon."
The 2024 event will be the second Olympic appearance for the 25-year-old after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which he won the silver medal in the 200m with a run time of 19.68 seconds, falling just short of Canada's Andre De Grasse (19.62 seconds).
Kenny Bednarek opens up about his home support ahead of the Paris Olympics
Hailing from the small town of Rice Lake in Wisconsin, Kenny Bednarek always had a very deep bond with his roots. His performances across the globe haven't been able to deviate from the love that he shares with his native land.
In a recent interview, Bednarek elaborated on the immense support that his native people have devoted to him which has helped him grow better as an athlete. In a conversation with The Chronotype, he stated:
"It means the world to have the support back home ever since high school and middle school — it means everything to me. I wouldn’t be here without their support. They are the people that helped push me to better every single day on and off the track."
Besides the high-profile athlete that Kenny Bednarek has emerged to be, he also carved a legacy during his junior days in his native state, Wisconsin. His performances for his high school, Rice Lake School, include seven state titles and various other state records in the 200m and 400m events.