Meet Kenny Bednarek, the Tokyo Olympics silver medalist who broke Noah Lyles' meet record at the Doha Diamond League in 2021.

Kenny Bednarek is an American sprinter who recently displayed his remarkable athletic prowess at the 2024 Doha Diamond League after shattering the meeting record and setting a new world lead.

Bednarek registered a stunning time of 19.67 seconds in the men's 200m race to leave behind fellow American sprinters Courtney Lindsey and Kyree King, clocking 20.01 and 20.21 seconds, respectively. The 25-year-old smashed the previous meeting record set by the three-peat world champion Noah Lyles on May 4, 2018, recording 19.83 seconds.

Registering his personal best time, Bednarek also set a new world lead surpassing his teammate Lindsey's previous lead of 19.71 seconds, which he recorded during the fifth stop of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Series at Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya.

Kenny Bednarek's Athletics Career

Kenny Bednarek speaks during the Team USA Media Summit at the Marriott Marquis Hotel on April 16, 2024, in New York City.

Kenny Bednarek began his athletics career along with his twin brother, Ian, in second grade, competing for the Rice Lake High School, securing seven individual state titles. In July 2019, he inked a pro contract with Nike.

At the 2019 U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships, he earned a spot in the finals but unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury, costing him the victory. Before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he set a world lead of 10.81 seconds at the Athletics Sprint Showcase in Florida.

Continuing his winning streak, Bednarek clinched a silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, registering 19.68 seconds, leaving behind Noah Lyles, who posted 19.74 seconds. In the same year, he was ranked in the top position for the season by World Athletics for running 12 sub-20 performances in the men's 200m event.

Following his Olympic victory, he also secured a silver medal at the home ground during the 2022 World Athletics Champiosnhips, recording 19.77 seconds.

Kenny Benarek Family

Bednarek was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He and his brother Ian, were adopted by Mary Ann Bednarek and moved to Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Kenny Bednarek Realtionships

He is currently dating Sharmila Nicollet. She is an Indian golfer and has represented the nation at the 2016 Asian Games. The 33-year-old golfer began her journey when she was 11 and has earned the record of youngest Indian golfer to secure a place at the Ladies European Tour.

Kenny Bednarek's other top performances

At the 2024 World Athletics Relays, Bednarek along with the 4x100m relay team, including Noah Lyles, Kyree King, and Courtney Lindsey, secured a spot to compete at the 2024 Paris Olympics after registering 37.40 seconds to leave behind the Canadian and Italian squads.

At the 2021 Doha Diamond League, he dominated the lineup in the men's 200m, registering a time of 19.88 seconds. During the same year, at the Zurich Diamond League Final, he secured the first position after clocking 19.70 seconds.