By Ujjwal Roy
Kolkata (West Bengal) [India], December 18 : Kenny Bednarek, two-time Olympic silver medallist and American sprint star, the International Event Ambassador for the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, expressed his excitement at being part of India's premier distance running event, and encouraged the Indian athletes to tap into their potential.
Kenny Bednarek is one of the world's leading sprinters, a double Olympic silver medallist in the men's 200m at Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024, and a World Championships silver medallist. A consistent Diamond League performer, he holds a personal best of 19.49 seconds and remains at the forefront of American sprinting on the global stage.
While speaking to ANI, Bednarek expressed optimism about Indian athletics, noting that some athletes are beginning to find their rhythm. He emphasized that with the right resources and support, India's talented athletes could achieve greater success, including making finals and representing the country at the Olympics.
"A few athletes are starting to put the pieces together, and they have a good team. I just think that it's a few people who are finally figuring things out. In a few years, you're going to have a lot more athletes making finals and representing on Olympic teams. Like I said, it's all about having the right resources. A lot of people in the world have talent--India especially has so many talented people--but it's about making sure you have the right support to work hard, recover, and actually tap into that potential," Bednarek told ANI
Bednarek encouraged athletes at the 2030 Commonwealth Games to enjoy themselves, represent their countries, and make the most of the home-field advantage.
"Just go out there, represent, and have fun. I mean, you're on home turf, so you kind of have the home-field advantage--just go and show what you can do," Bednarek told ANI.
Speaking about what it takes to perform at the elite level, Bednarek underlined the importance of mindset over everything else. "You can be physically prepared and extremely talented, but if you're not mentally strong on race day, it doesn't matter. Sprinting is nearly 90 per cent mental discipline, responsibility, belief and recovery are key to performing consistently at the top level," he said.
Sharing his views on long-term engagement with Indian sport, Bednarek added, "I'm always open to contributing in meaningful ways whether it's through interaction, mentorship, or sharing experiences. Sport has the power to change lives, and if my presence here helps support that journey in India, I'd be proud to be part of it."
Bednarek attributes his career successes to hard work, dedication, surrounding himself with the right people, staying disciplined, and consistently working toward his goals, despite coming from a small-town background.
"I just say it's a lot of hard work, dedication, and just finding the right people around me. Coming from junior college, coming from a small town, just being thrust into the spotlight and running on a global stage was just a big thing. And I was just fortunate to find the right people. And, you know, I always have goals that I always want to attain, and I just make sure to stay disciplined and do all the things that I need to do in order to attain those goals," he said.
Talking about his nickname, Kung Fu Kenny, he said it reflects values he strives to embody--humbleness, discipline, respect, and dedication--both on and off the track.
"Kung Fu Kenny has a set of values that represent, that have meaning to me which is humbleness, discipline, respect and dedication So I try to live those values on and off the track."
When asked about the Tata Steel World 25K Kolkata, Bednarek said, "This is not just a race, it's a celebration. To see tens of thousands of runners, from elite athletes, amateur runners to the first-timers, sharing the same road is inspiring. I'm really looking forward to experiencing race day up close and cheering the runners on Sunday."