Kenny Bednarek

The nickname “Kung Fu Kenny” originally stems from the signature ties he wears around his forehead, but Bednarek’s patience and meticulous work ethic encapsulates the title, as well. Three times a silver medalist at 200m with a personal best of 19.57, Kenny is bringing a long list of accolades with him to GST, which also includes a 100m best of 9.87.

At his best, Bednarek is undoubtedly among the very best in the world, but to be a fan of his is to appreciate consistency. Rarely does he miss! And that predictable greatness is a byproduct of the professionalism that Kenny brings to the sport, and now to the league. To be a world beater it’s more than just talent – which he obviously has – it’s a steadfast diet, the commitment to mental prep, and the inhabited responsibility to grow the sport.

To analyze what makes Kenny so fast is to see an athlete with no apparent weakness. His start landed him in the deepest Olympic 100m final of all time. His bend and acceleration is so smooth that it tests the limits of centripetal physics. And that finish is as strong as you’d expect from a guy who once ran 44.73 in college… doubling back after running 19.82 earlier that day.

There are not many top sprinters that hail from Rice Lake, Wisconsin whose careers blossomed at a JUCO school, but it’s also a short list of athletes who have run under 20 seconds more than 25 times!