“Didn’t…Do What I Needed To”: Kenny Bednarek Reflects on ‘Bittersweet’ Paris Olympics 100m Finals

For Kenny Bednarek, the Paris Olympics was one of his most memorable rides, with some highs and lows. In a recent YouTube video on his personal channel, Bednarek recalled his moments since qualifying for the Olympics this year.

He discussed the historic men’s 100m sprint, which had to resort to a photo-finish result to determine the actual winner since every participant was super close to the finish line.

Since the qualifiers during the Olympics, Bednarek had been clocking in at a good enough time that could’ve gotten him on the podium. He remembered how his coach told him to be on par with Jamaican sprinter Kishane Thompson to ensure securing a good finish. However, things changed during the finals, and in a tragic twist of events, the Wisconsin native stood seventh, clocking in at 9.88s.

“As soon as the gun went off, yeah. I didn’t really do what I needed to do. Everybody had a really good start, I had an okay start.“

The rough start seems to have kicked off a chain of disasters for Bednarek, who desperately wanted to make it through as quickly as he could within ten seconds.

The excessive speed and strength caused him to tighten up in the final stretch of the 100m race, resulting in him quickly losing ground to the other sprinters racing past him.

“The whole thing about that finals, it was kind of bittersweet you know? I didn’t get the job done.“

The men’s 4x100m relay turned out worse for the sprinting icon, who was disqualified along with his team for a faulty baton pass. Yet, he didn’t lose it all and won the podium position for his strong suit—the men’s 200m sprint.

Bednarek’s failures weren’t exactly how one would define a downfall since he still had that enthusiasm and fire to fuel him. Post-Olympics, his victory at Brussels Diamond League marked one of the most poignant moments in his life since he finally got to prove his potential to the world.

This, closely followed by his direct integration into the Grand Slam Track in 2025, has turned Bednarek into an iconic track and field athlete to stay on top of the roster.