Bednarek picks up 1st post-Olympics victory in 200-meter
Aug. 26—Kenny Bednarek secured his first post-Olympics victory on Thursday.
The Rice Lake alumnus won the 200-meter dash at the IAAF Diamond League meet in Lausanne, Switzerland. He clocked in at 19.65 seconds, holding off fellow American Fred Kerley to win a straightforward race.
Bednarek's time was adjusted to 19.68 seconds once the tailwind he ran in front of was taken into account, meaning he did not set a new personal record. It was a blustery wind, leading to cool temperatures.
"I was really hoping to PR tonight as I know this is a fast track, but the wind was too strong," Bednarek said afterward, according to Athletics Weekly. "I didn't feel the cold too much until we had the false start, then it started to affect me a bit."
It was Bednarek's second race since winning the silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics last month. He finished second at the Diamond League meet in Oregon last week before winning Thursday's sprint.
Bednarek pulled away from Kerley — the Olympic silver medalist in the 100-meter dash — toward the tail end of the race and finished comfortably in front. Once wind was taken into account, Bednarek won by 0.12 seconds. Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas took third at 20.11 seconds.
Bednarek's 19.68-second run matched his personal best, set at the Olympics in August. According to the NBCSN broadcast of Thursday's meet, Bednarek has run more wind-legal sub-20 races this year than any sprinter ever has in a single season.
It was the third Diamond League victory for Bednarek this year. He also won at Gateshead, England, and Doha, Qatar, in May. There are four more meets on the circuit this season.
Thursday's field did not feature either the gold medalist or bronze medalist from last month's Olympics. Canada's Andre De Grasse, who won gold in Tokyo, has not competed in the 200 meters since capturing gold. American Noah Lyles, the bronze medalist, bested Bednarek in Oregon last week but did not compete in Switzerland.
Bednarek is set to have a quick turnaround as he looks to continue his momentum. He's slated to run at the next Diamond League meet in Paris on Saturday. The 22-year-old will be favored there as well, with De Grasse and Lyles not in the field. Kerley figures to be his top competition again.
