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Team USA sprinter Kenny Bednarek furiously accuses 2024 Olympics chiefs of 'favoritism' ahead of the men's 200m final
American sprinter Kenny Bednarek has received a new lane assignment for the 200-meter final after blasting Olympic officials for 'favoritism.'
Bednarek won his semifinal heat in 20 seconds, which was the second-best time among all qualifiers.
Yet when lanes were assigned, the 25-year-old was given No. 4 – something he perceived to be a disadvantage.
'Never seen favoritism like this on a global scale,' he wrote on X.
Bednarek has since issued a protest with officials and has been moved to lane 8 – something that could help him to return to the podium.
American sprinter Kenny Bednarek has received a new lane assignment since this post on X
Kenny Bednarek (right) is pictured alongside his teammate and rival, Noah Lyles (left)
Bednarek won a silver medal in the 200 at the 2020 Tokyo Games by racing in lane 7, narrowly edging teammate and Olympic rival Noah Lyles, who was in the third lane.
This time Lyles, the 100-meter champion, will be racing the 200 in lane 4.
The 200 is Lyles' preferred, and better, distance - one at which he had not lost in three full years.
That streak was snapped in the semifinals at the Stade de France, where Letsile Tebogo of Botswana beat him to the line by crossing in 19.96 seconds, 0.12 faster than runner-up Lyles.
They'll have a rematch for the gold on Thursday night with Bednarek and 20-year-old phenom Erryion Knighton on hand.
Getting golds in the 100 and 200 at a single Olympics is a rare feat.
Usain Bolt accomplished that double at three Olympics in a row - in Beijing in 2008, London in 2012 and Rio de Janeiro in 2016. But until the Jamaican, no man had done it since Carl Lewis at Los Angeles in 1984.
At his last Games, eight years ago, Bolt was shutting it down late in his 200 semifinal, and suddenly realized Andre De Grasse was running hard. So Bolt dialed his speed back up and wagged a finger at the Canadian.
Fast-forward to the final: Bolt won easily.