Agency :
Kenneth Bednarek sounded out a warning to his Olympic rivals with a personal best and world-leading time in the 200 metres, when he led an all-American podium at the Diamond League meeting in Doha on May 10.
Wearing a headband with the words “Fear no one”, the Tokyo Olympics silver medallist stormed to the finish line with a time of 19.67 seconds. Courtney Lindsey finished second (20.01), while Kyree King (20.21) was third.
“The best I can do this year is gold medal in the Olympics… I know I have the talent and good training. Running this fast this early is really good, it means I will be fast by the time we start the Olympics,” Bednarek said.
“Time doesn’t matter, my main focus is not the time, but competing and making sure we get the job done.
“I felt great about the race. I knew I was in this shape, I just had to put it down on the track. I’m healthy, I’m stronger than ever and I’m ready to go.”
In the women’s 100m, Britain’s Daryll Neita edged ahead of American Tamari Davis in the final 15m to win by one-hundredth of a second in a photo finish for the podium.
Neita won with a time of 10.98 while American Celera Barnes was third (11.02).
But it was Alison dos Santos who got the crowd going when he broke the meet record in the 400m hurdles as the towering Brazilian left his opponents far behind to clock 46.86 seconds.
In the men’s long jump, Greece’s reigning Olympic champion Miltiadis Tentoglou finished second behind Jamaica’s Carey McLeod, who won with a leap of 8.52m thanks to a strong tailwind.
Tentoglou, who was competing in his first event in 2024, could only manage 8.36 on his final attempt.
McLeod went viral in 2023 at the World Athletics Championships when he slipped during his run-up, flew through the air and landed awkwardly face-first but walked away without any serious injury.
India’s Olympic champion Neeraj Chopra was pipped to top spot in the javelin by the Czech Republic’s Jakub Vadlejch in a close contest where the pair were separated by just 2cm.
Chopra was looking to beat Vadlejch’s best throw of 88.38 metres but his final effort fell agonisingly short as the two athletes smiled and shook hands.
“It was a little bit revenge for last year,” said Vadlejch, who lost out to Chopra by 4cm in Doha last season and who took silver behind the Indian at the Tokyo 2020 Games.
“I think it’s a good rivalry and it’s good for the spectators.”
Chopra, who again missed out on joining the elite 90m club, vowed to improve next time around.
“I’m satisfied with the result but I’m not satisfied with my effort,” he said. “I think I can do something about this and maybe next competition I will throw far.”
The Diamond League season continues in Rabat on May 19, the fourth of a bumper 15 meetings. The season finale is in Brussels in mid-September following the July 26-Aug 11 Olympics in Paris.