The Wisconsin-born Kenny Bednarek is a two-time Olympic silver medallist, having finished on the second step of the podium in the men’s 200m at both the Tokyo (2021) and Paris (2024) Games. In Kolkata as the International Event Ambassador for the Tata Steel World 25K, he spoke exclusively to Boria Majumdar, RevSportz’s editor-in-chief, about getting into his prime, the rivalry with Noah Lyles and his first impressions of the city.
Boria: First impression about Kolkata?
Bednarek: It’s nice – the culture, the people. I’m loving everything about it.
Boria: How important is an event like this for a country like ours?
Bednarek: It’s very important. It unifies people and changes the culture and lifestyle, so having a running culture here is amazing.
Boria: How do you define success?
Bednarek: For me, success is winning and showing people that no matter what background you come from, you can succeed anyway. Also, being a role model is success for me.
Boria: When you started, what were your aspirations?
Bednarek: Being the best was obviously a dream, but records like 19.19s (Usain Bolt’s) were far-off dreams. I started implementing smaller yearly goals and eventually got better and better.
Boria: How do you prepare for an event?
Bednarek: We usually have six months to prepare for a World Championship, so apart from regular training, I take care of my eating and sleeping, specifically because that affects recovery majorly.
Boria: How do you handle the pressure of performance?
Bednarek: I still consider myself an underdog. I don’t take added pressure; I just execute the race as per my capability and hope good things will happen.
Boria: How close do you think you are to your best?
Bednarek: I’ve heard ages 27–29 are the peak years, so I think I’m close to hitting my full potential. A lot of things clicked for me in 2025, and I think the next 2–3 years are going to be my best.
Boria: Can you throw some light on how things have clicked for you?
Bednarek: It’s a mix of physical and mental aspects. My performance in the 100m this year got much better because of a mindset change after the Paris Olympics, where being in the 100m final gave me a great level of confidence.
Boria: How do you handle mental health associated with failure?
Bednarek: I try to see what I did wrong and discuss it with people like my mental coach. Then we come up with things I can do better.
Boria: How are you in your personal life?
Bednarek: I like to have fun and be adventurous. I’m not really a city person – I love exploring mountains and enjoying fresh air. I do like video games at times, but I’m more of an outdoor activity lover.
Boria: The USA has an illustrious tradition of track and field. Does that make it more challenging?
Bednarek: The US is different and does add some pressure, but I try to keep things simple and focus on myself.
Boria: The rivalry with Noah Lyles?
Bednarek: The rivalry is real. All I can say is that every time we will step on to the track, it’s going to be intense.
Boria: Off the track, do you guys converse?
Bednarek: I can just say that we’re not best friends (laughs), but there is respect, and we keep it short.
Boria: Quick rapid fire – Usain Bolt or Carl Lewis?
Bednarek: Usain Bolt.
Boria: Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal?
Bednarek: Rafael Nadal.
Boria: Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner?
Bednarek: Alcaraz.
Boria: Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi?
Bednarek: Ronaldo.
Boria: What is the legacy that you want to leave behind?
Bednarek: I want to be a role model and give back to my community – help people.
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“The rivalry is real. Every time we step on the track, it’s intense. Off track, we’re not best friends”
2-time OLY medallist & World Champion , @kenny_bednarek opens up on his rivalry with Noah Lyles. Weighs in on Carl Lewis vs Usain Bolt & more.… pic.twitter.com/ypXmIgv3Wk
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) December 21, 2025
