SO SAD: Kenny Bednarek reflects on tactical blunder” involving Kishane Thompson that dashed his 100m gold hopes in Paris “I tried to get into extra gear and tried to force….
Sprinter Kenny Bednarek of the United States, who won a silver medal in the 200 meters at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, has disclosed the tactical blunder that cost him a gold medal in the 100 meters.
Even though he finished the race extremely quickly, Bednarek was disappointed with his seventh-place finish and acknowledged that he had disregarded a crucial piece of advice from his coach.
With all eight sprinters finishing in under 9.92 seconds, the Paris 100-meter final was an incredibly close race. With a time of 9.88 seconds, Bednarek would have won a bronze medal in a previous Olympic Games.
However, in Paris, it placed him seventh. The race was won by his American teammate Noah Lyles, who stormed to victory in 9.79 seconds, edging out Jamaica’s Kishane Thompson in a photo finish by just 0.005 seconds, ending Team USA’s 20-year drought in the event.
Reflecting on his performance on his YouTube channel, Bednarek opened up about the race on his YouTube channel, explaining how he and his coach, Dennis Mitchell, had mapped out a strategy that, if executed correctly, could have seen him challenge for gold. The plan was simple: stay with Thompson from the start, and allow his powerful top-end speed to carry him through the final stages.
“Coach and I spoke and we basically said, ‘if we stay with Kishane, we get the win,’ which was the goal at the end of the race,” Bednarek explained. “Get out and push out of the blocks and stay with the boys, because if I got out with them, I could have my top-end speed take over and get the job done.”
Unfortunately, things didn’t go as planned. “As soon as the gun went off, I didn’t really do what I had to do. Everyone had an okay start, so by then, I was in a position where I could let my top-end speed take over and get the job done, but it was a case where you’re in the finals, and you want it bad.”
In the heat of the moment, Bednarek admitted he tried to force things instead of staying patient. “I tried to get into extra gear and tried to force it instead of being patient, and with that, I tightened up a bit,” he said, reflecting on the bitter-sweet nature of the final. “I did not get the job done.”
Despite the disappointment, Bednarek acknowledged the significance of being part of one of the fastest Olympic 100m finals in history. “Coach and everybody else told me about how that was the fastest finals in a while. I am happy to be part of history, but the job is not done yet. I want gold medals, not a 7th place finish.”
Looking ahead, Bednarek is determined to learn from this experience and come back stronger. “The best thing I do is show up when it counts, no matter what. I am as consistent as can be, and next year, I’m going to get the job done and run faster than what I did in these finals.”
While the 100 meters didn’t go as planned, Bednarek still managed to secure his second consecutive Olympic silver in the 200 meters, building on the success he first tasted in Tokyo.
With his trademark resilience and drive, Bednarek is already setting his sights on redemption, determined to add gold to his collection in future competitions.
