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The US sprinter is not impressed by the treatment he has been subjected to despite outperforming Noah Lyles in the 200m semi-final.
American Kenny Bednarek has stocked up the fires ahead of the 200m men’s final at the Paris Olympics after accusing organisers of favouring track rival Noah Lyles.
Bednarek was not pleased after being put in Lane 9 for the final while Lyles got Lane 5 and feels organisers gave his rival an advantage.
The sprinter’s bone of contention is that he won his semi-final heat while Lyles was beaten by Botswanan Letslie Tebogo and a such, he ought to have been in a better lane than his American compatriot.
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06:59 - 08.08.2024
Noah Lyles looking to complete Olympics double but Tebogo, Bednarek & Co stand in his way
American Noah Lyles will be aiming to add the 200m Olympics crown to his collection but faces formidable opposition from Kenny Bednarek, Letsile Tebogo and Erriyon Knighton.
“Never seen favoritism like this on a global scale,” Bednarek fumed on social media.
He later protested and got moved to the eighth lane but that was still not enough to cool his temper.
It is believed that the middle lanes (4-6) gives athletes technical superiority over their rivals during the race and it is reserved for the top athletes in the heats.
In the outside lanes (7-9), the sprinter fail to see their rivals because of limited visibility, just like in Lanes 1 and 2, making the middle lane the most preferred as the runners will have an eye on their rivals on both sides, especially at the bend.
Lyles will be in Lane 5 while another American, Erriyon Knighton, who won the third semi-final, will be in Lane 6 while Bednarek will be in Lane 8.
Bednarek is seen as the biggest rival to Lyles in the 200m final after his impressive reuslts over the distance this season.
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12:30 - 07.08.2024
Paris 2024 Olympics: Gabby Thomas insists Shericka Jackson's absence from women's 200m did not ease the pressure
Gabby Thomas has explained why Shericka Jackson's withdrawal from the women's 200m final did not make it easy for her to win the race.
He had won all but one of his 200m races heading the Olympics with his only defeat coming from Lyles at the US Olympics trials where he was second.
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