"Yesterday was a tough lesson"-Kenny Bednarek shares frustration after being disqualified during the 4x100m relay finals at Paris Olympics 2024

American track and field athlete Kenny Bednarek expressed frustration following the USA's disqualification in the men’s 4x100m relay finals at the Paris Olympics 2024. With this disqualification, Bednarek concluded his journey at the quadrennial games with a silver medal in the men’s 200m.

At the Paris Olympics, Bednarek bagged the silver medal after recording 19.62s in the finals of the competition, finishing behind Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo, who clocked an African record of 19.46s to win the race.

Following the completion of his Paris Olympics journey, Bednarek took to his Instagram story to talk about his progress and growth as an athlete over the past few years. He said:

“Three years ago, I competed in one event on the world stage. This year I had the privilege to run in three. Every race is a lesson in becoming a better athlete whether it's running faster, training harder or overcoming setbacks.”

The 25-year-old acknowledged that the USA's performance in the 4x100m relay didn't meet their expectations and showed his frustration due to the disqualification. He added:

“Yesterday was a tough lesson and I know my performance in the 4x100m relay wasn't what my teammates or many of you expected. I share your frustrations, but I firmly believe team USA consists of the best athletes in the world and we'll use this experience to come back better, faster, and stronger.

Screenshot of Kenny Bednarek Instagram story

In the 4x100m relay where the USA was expected to break its medal drought, the team comprising Christian Coleman, Kenny Bednarek, Kyree King, and Fred Kerley faced disqualification after a clumsy baton exchange between Coleman and Bednarek. This resulted in the baton exchange taking place outside the takeover zone.

Additionally, Bednarek also competed in the men’s 100m final, his first event at the quadrennial games, where he finished seventh with a time of 9.88 seconds.

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Kenny Bednarek’s Road to Paris Olympics 2024

Kenny Bednarek celebrates after the Men's 200m Final during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. (Photo via Getty Images)

Kenny Bednarek qualified for the Paris Olympics after impressive performances in the men’s 100m and 200m events at the 2024 U.S. Olympics Track and Field Trials. In both 100m and 200m, he came second with personal best times of 9.87s and 19.59s respectively to secure his place in the USA’s track and field team for the quadrennial games.

The Paris Olympics was his second Olympics, having featured at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in which he also took home the silver in the 200m. It was also the only event in which he represented the USA at the Games.