Kenny Bednarek’s love of martial arts is enhancing his skill to chill out within the quest for a significant sprints gold
It has turn into a well-worn routine that alerts when it’s time to get to work. “I do the identical factor each single time I am going to the monitor,” says Kenny Bednarek. “I put the scarf on, do my bow and ensure to get my thoughts proper.”
These rituals herald the arrival of “Kung Fu Kenny”, not a lot an alter ego as a mind-set for the two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist – a person who has been doing his degree finest to make a severe dent within the sprinting world however maybe hasn’t been lauded in fairly the identical means as a few of his friends.
Bednarek, by his personal admission, is: “Probably not an consideration grabber or seeker, so I type of fly underneath the radar.” On one hand, the American is proud of that state of affairs, to do his personal factor and simply get on with the duty at hand however, on the opposite, he’s additionally nonetheless trying to find better skilled contentment.
“I really feel like, after I step on the monitor, folks know who I’m they usually know what I’ll do, in order that respect is there, however I nonetheless do have a chip on my shoulder,” says the 2022 World Championships 200m silver medallist. “I am making an attempt to be one of the best and considered one of my huge motivations is to do my factor and get these gold medals, however that is what I have been in need of previously few years. I’ve all the time been, I suppose, Mr Silver and that is one thing that I wish to change. I wish to be one of the best and getting second place each single time will not be being one of the best.”
With that in thoughts, the 26-year-old has spent 2024 entering into the profitable behavior. On the time of writing, the Philadelphia leg of this 12 months’s Grand Slam Monitor was but to unfold however, even earlier than the third chapter of Michael Johnson’s new athletics drama, Bednarek had already emerged as a number one man.
In Kingston, he received each the 100m and 200m earlier than repeating the trick in Miami. He has additionally helped the USA 4x100m workforce safe their spot at this summer season’s World Championships, a part of the line-up that took them to silver behind South Africa on the World Relays in Guangzhou.
That he has been a power to be reckoned with over 200m is hardly a shock, however the huge distinction to date in 2025 has been his prowess over the shorter distance. At his Florida coaching base the place he’s coached by Dennis Mitchell, he has been laborious at work. And it exhibits.
“I had numerous momentum constructed up coming off of the tip of final 12 months, so this 12 months I simply wished to come back out, make a press release, be dominant and actually give attention to my weaknesses,” says Bednarek, who first got here to prominence over the 200m and 400m.
“That’s what I did in the course of the low season and I got here out with a bang. I am having much more enjoyable this 12 months and one of many issues I have been specializing in essentially the most within the 100m is my begin. In earlier years, I might all the time run fairly good 100m instances however I might do it operating behind folks and catching them so the purpose this 12 months was to get a ok begin to the place I am with them, and if I am with them, my high finish pace goes to take over in the direction of the tail finish of the race and no person’s going to catch me.
“That is what’s been occurring and, as soon as I began hitting that, constructing that, gaining that confidence and seeing the outcomes… my confidence has gone by the roof. And the truth that we’re really having enjoyable with it as nicely…that is why I say I am harmful. If I am having enjoyable and I am wholesome, I do not suppose anyone can cease me.”
It helps that Bednarek is surrounded by fierce competitors in Mitchell’s group, which additionally accommodates the likes of world 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson and former world 100m champion Christian Coleman, a famend quick starter, who has been an enormous affect
“The factor that helped my begin was the mentality,” says Bednarek. “Being a 400m/200m man coming into the professional scene, I did not actually have an outstanding begin. Going into the group I’m in now, my mentality was type of like: ‘Oh, they’re good starters. Let’s attempt to mitigate how a lot they get forward of me’.
“This 12 months, I got here in with the mindset that I am a very good starter as nicely. I made the [Olympic] 100m ultimate [finishing seventh], so there isn’t any excuse for me to not be up there with them. And, with that mentality change, I suppose I simply awoke sooner or later and began making use of extra stress to start with.
“As soon as I began to see that I used to be with everyone at 30 to 40 metres, I knew that every little thing was going to be alright. The addition of Christian Coleman has helped as nicely, as a result of it is one factor while you see any individual like that from time to time at a race however now I practice with this man each single day, so I do know precisely the place I’m. He helps numerous us give attention to our weaknesses.
“There’s a lot expertise and it’s totally intense. You understand each single rep goes to be high notch and, [to make sure you don’t get] your butt kicked in a sure rep, you’ve acquired to verify to give attention to what your coach is telling you to give attention to.”
For Bednarek, that focus is on one quick phrase. Chill out. It’s the paradox of sprinting that an athlete is making an attempt to generate as a lot power, pace and energy as potential whereas on the identical time making an attempt to not chase after it an excessive amount of. It was the creep of stress and his makes an attempt to power the problem, says Bednarek, that stopped him from taking 200m gold in Paris. He’s accustomed to coming off the bend out in entrance. It’s the latter levels of the race which have proved problematic.
“Coming off the bend, every little thing was good, after which as soon as we acquired in the direction of that 120m mark, I tightened up somewhat bit,” he says, considering again to that ultimate within the Stade de France the place Letsile Tebogo emerged victorious. “I do know I am all the time going to get off the bend and the distinction between me profitable and shedding is what I do within the final 70 to 80 metres. If I keep relaxed and maintain making use of stress, then no person’s going to beat me.
“However, in earlier years, one thing that I had a tough time specializing in was simply staying relaxed. As quickly as you begin seeing a hand or a foot or one thing like that [out of the corner of your eye], you wish to push that crimson button and be like: ‘Okay, we’ve acquired to placed on the turbo increase’. However you’ve already arrange your rhythm in the course of the race, and it is laborious to your physique to react that means so every little thing tightens up and, in return, you are going to run slower.
“Going to the opposite races after that, one factor that I used to be simply specializing in was staying relaxed. After I went to [the Diamond League meetings in] Zurich after which Brussels, these have been my finest races.
“I ended up executing the race that I wanted to execute, stayed relaxed and I acquired the win [in Brussels]. That gave me a confidence increase going into the subsequent 12 months, and that is why we’re getting the outcomes that we’re seeing now, as a result of I really feel like I perfected staying relaxed, being myself and executing my race.”
Bednarek has quite a lot of vital folks in his life. There’s his twin brother Ian, his mom Mary who adopted them each from foster care, his adopted siblings, his girlfriend (Indian skilled golfer Sharmila Nicollet) and his coach, Mitchell.
There’s additionally one other character, albeit fictional, who has been key to his story – and the creation of Kung Fu Kenny. Naruto Uzumaki is central to a Japanese manga comedian e-book sequence and follows the story of a younger ninja with ambitions of changing into the chief of his village. It was seeing the animated model of it, within the anime type, on TV that grabbed a younger Bednarek’s consideration.
“I began watching that after I was a child, I believe after I was seven or eight,” he says. “My sister was an enormous anime fan, I began watching along with her and ended up loving it. One storyline specifically, Naruto, is a couple of child that’s shunned from his village simply because he has one thing completely different about him.
“However that doesn’t make him wish to roll over and quit on his desires. It doesn’t matter what folks stated about him, he simply stated: ‘Screw all that. I wish to be the highest canine. I wish to be the village chief, so I am simply going to maintain specializing in myself and be one of the best that I might be’.
“The combating scenes are superior, however it’s extra the storyline that I really like. Lots of people can relate to these characters as a result of they could possibly be in an identical scenario [themselves] they usually get motivation from watching a fictional character and making use of it to actual life.”
Bednarek did simply that and the arrival of Kung Fu Kenny 4 years in the past has helped him to write down his sporting narrative, although it’s not just a few throwaway nickname. There’s a depth of which means to the moniker.
“I wished to provide you with a persona that pertains to me,” he explains. “I like anime, I like Kung Fu and all that scene. I put on my headband on a regular basis so we got here up with Kung Fu Kenny, as a result of Kung Fu has a set of values – humility, self-discipline, respect and dedication. I attempt to stay these values on and off the monitor. That is who I’m. Now, as soon as I get on the monitor, you get the bow, the scarf and the stoic face, after which it is able to go. If I haven’t got my headband, I really feel bare.”
Together with Akani Simbine, Bednarek is likely one of the most in-form of the big-name sprinters of 2025 to date. Whereas some are taking their time to emerge from winter hibernation, given the September begin of the Tokyo World Championships, others are taking some time to shake off the early-season rustiness, whereas the likes of defending 100m and 200m champion Noah Lyles has been hampered by damage. Bednarek is aware of it received’t take lengthy for that image to alter, although, and is getting ready to anticipate the sudden.
“Yearly it simply looks as if there’s all the time going to be any individual new that comes on the scene and I believe that is very thrilling,” he says. “You do not know who’s going to pop up subsequent.
“I really like competitors, so seeing different athletes pop up will get me excited, as a result of meaning I’ve to get higher however this 12 months is unquestionably going to be fascinating. Now we have a really lengthy season, and everyone’s going to verify to peak on the proper time however, proper now, I am in a great spot. If I keep relaxed, I’ll be high quality.”
