Kenny Bednarek Dominates Doha Diamond League And Runs World Lead In The 200m

If track and field fans are still deciding who they predict will make Team USA for the Olympics in the men’s 200-meter dash, Kenny Bednarek should be a strong consideration. The Olympic silver medalist went to the Doha Diamond League and demonstrated why he has a strong chance of making it to Paris this summer.

Bednarek won the event in 19.67 seconds, which is the current world-leading time, meet record, and new personal best for the Olympian. His previous personal best of 19.68 seconds earned him an Olympic silver medal in Tokyo.

During an interview after his win, he mentioned that running a fast time at this point in the season is not his primary concern.

“Running this fast this early is really good, it means I will be fast by the time we start the Olympics. Time doesn’t matter, my main focus is not the time but competing and making sure we get the job done,” said Bednarek.

Track and field athletes do their best to focus less on time and more on competing well. The philosophy is that with their training, the fast times and great marks will come when needed. Athletes train to purposely peak at championship meets because that is when quick times and competition will matter most. When they put up good marks this early, it is usually a good indicator they will do well later in the season if they can maintain their competitive momentum.

Bednarek was not the only American to make his mark in the race. Courtney Lindsey, the previous world leader in the event, placed second in 20.03 seconds. Kyree King finished third running 20.21 seconds, rounding out the American sweep.

Their dominance together in Doha is not surprising. Bednarek, Lindsey, and King are all training partners for the Star Athletics running club in Florida. Some other notable names that train in this group are Sha’Carri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, and Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry.

The men’s team chemistry showed up greatly during the World Athletics Relay Championships in the Bahamas last weekend. They were three out of the four legs on the USA 4×100-meter relay that placed first and qualified for the Olympics.

Their dominance in Doha and the Bahamas speaks to the extreme depth of the USA men’s 200-meter roster. Alongside them, people must consider the Olympian, world champion, and American record holder Noah Lyles. The list continues with Erriyon Knighton, Fred Kerley, and Christian Coleman, all of whom are Olympic medalists and world medalists and have personal bests of 19.8 seconds and faster. This does not include the possibility of upsets from collegiate athletes who have continued to display their dominance in the NCAA. Making the men’s 200-meter team for the USA will not be easy. It may be one of the most challenging events to secure a spot in.

Noah Lyles took to X and gave Bednarek a shout-out for his victory. However, Lyles said that he only plans to let him keep the world lead until June 9th, which is when Lyles will compete in the 200-meter again. The friendly competitive banter is only a preview of what’s to come as the Olympic Trials and Olympics inch closer.

Doha delivered more notable performances, including three more world leads and another meet record. 23-year-old Alison Dos Santos from Brazil opened up his 400-meter hurdle quest in a commanding fashion with a meet record and world-leading time of 46.68 seconds. Kenya’s Beatrice Chebet lowered the previous world lead in the 5000-meter run by almost 10 seconds, finishing in 14:26.98. Ethiopia’s Abraham Kibiwot earned the win in the 3000-meter steeplechase by running a world lead and personal best of 8:07.25.