“I want to hit 19.3 in the 200m or 19.2. I know I have the capabilities of doing that. For the 100m, I want to see if I can crack 9.72 or 9.69,” said Bednarek in an interaction here ahead of the main event.
The world is blessed with phenomenal sprinters, but the silver medallist at the 2020 and 2024 Olympics as well as the World Championships is eager to get a move on. “I mean, you know I’m the silver surfer right now, so I definitely want to change that color. But that’s a good problem to have being able to be on the podium many times and having the same color is nice, but eventually we need to upgrade.
“The next few years, I think it’s going to keep getting more intense and people are just going to keep getting better. So, you know, me going into this year and next year and the year of LA., it’s just going to be better and better every single time I step on the track.”
Compatriot Noah Lyles—who won the 100m gold at Paris—is on Bednarek’s heels right now in 200m, having won bronze both at 2020 and 2024. And with the competition getting hotter for 100m as well, Bednarek knows he has his work cut out on both the mental and physical fronts. “Without the mental side, it doesn’t matter how much you do physically,” said Bednarek. “You know, I’ve seen a lot of talented people in any sport and in my sport, you know, they’ll hit the times that they need to do at practice and, you know, so they’re in physical shape.
“But then when the gun goes off for the meet, they don’t perform and it’s just because of the mental side. So, you know, running track is very tough. I mean, you got your sponsor that’s, you know, helping you out, but at the end of the day, you have to put everything in, you have to make sure to be disciplined, take care of your body.”
It’s amazing how years of work gets assessed in a matter of seconds at the Olympics, so the onus naturally is on analysis and feedback. And Bednarek makes sure he goes back to the drawing board even when he does well. “The first thing I do, I mean, when I go look at the film with my coach is, you know, what did I do with the start? Did I react? You know, because sometimes a lot of athletes, their start is inconsistent. I have a good starting mechanic, but my reaction time might be a little bit off. And we’re talking about milliseconds, right? So if I’m like one second bit slower than the other person, I have a lot more catching up to do.
“So just looking at it from the start, looking at it towards the middle of the race to see what I need to improve upon. And then more important for me is what did I do at the end? Am I maintaining max speed or am I messing up with form or technique? And that’s the biggest thing when it comes to 200m and 100m races. Everybody’s on the same playing field, but what’s going to be the biggest difference maker is, are you technically sound? I can hit top speed faster than somebody else. But if I’m not technically sound, then I’m going to decelerate faster than the other person. So it’s just making sure all those small little details are on point.”
Bednarek can’t wait for the 2028 Olympics, by when he should be nearing 31. “USA is looking very good. Noah got to secure the gold for us for Paris, which is a good thing. I’m expecting more in the next few years in the World championships and the next Olympics. Especially since the Olympics are going to be at home, I think that’s going to be one of the most important things. Make sure to try and fight for our country and get a bunch of medals.”
