'No One Can Beat Me!' - Kenny Bednarek Tells Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine And Co of His 2025 Prospects

Kenny Bednarek has sent a confident message to his competitors like Noah Lyles, Kishane Thompson and Akani Simbine after winning his third-straight Grand Slam Track Short Sprints title.

A confident and composed Kenny Bednarek is making it clear 2025 is his year following a third consecutive Grand Slam Track Short Sprints overall title win in Philadelphia last weekend.

Bednarek produced a storming run, clocking a joint-world lead and new personal best of 9.86s. Bednarek was untouchable in a race that included Olympic gold medallist Andre De Grasse and former world champion Christian Coleman.

Bryan Levell crossed the line in a distant second place with a time of 10.02s, with Zharnel Hughes finishing third in 10.05s. Coleman (10.12s) finished fourth and De Grasse fifth in 10.15s.

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Bednarek also won the half-lap sprint event the day before with an equally dominant performance, posting a winning time of 19.95s.

Bednarek: I Love the Challenge of Grand Slam Track

For Bednarek, the Grand Slam circuit isn’t just a competitive platform—it’s a proving ground that plays to his strengths.

“I love it,” he said. “We get new challenges every single time—whether it’s Miami, Jamaica, LA, or Philadelphia. I just love that.”

Coming from a 400m background, Bednarek believes the structure of the Grand Slam series is tailor-made for him, allowing him to sharpen his short sprint speed while leaning on his endurance base.

“Grand Slam, I think, is kind of built for me. I have a lot of strength coming back from being a 400-meter runner in the past and then coming down to the two and the one. I really needed experience in the 100 meters, and Grand Slam’s given me the opportunity to do that.”

Despite excelling in both short sprints, the 200m remains his favorite—and it shows.

“The 200 is my king,” he declared. “So coming out here just to win back to back to back—you know, to back to back—just feels right. It builds a lot of confidence for the season. I feel very confident with this year, and I feel like no one can beat me.”

The conditions in Philadelphia were much colder than the warmer legs in Kingston and Miami, but Bednarek brushed it off.

“The weather’s a little bit chiller out here, and that’s not really a factor either. I’ve been through this before. So I don’t put too much stock in whether the 200’s first or the 100’s first. At the end of the day, I’m a professional, and I’m going to perform the way I need to every single time I step on the track.”

Even post-race soreness doesn’t phase him, thanks to the brutal workouts under coach Dennis Mitchell.

“I’m used to it. Under our coach, we do hard training every single day, so I’m always sore. If I came out a little bit sore after a 200, it’s no big deal to me.”

I Am the One to Beat - Kenny Bednarek

With Paris 2025 fast approaching, Bednarek’s confidence is sky-high—and he’s ready to take on the likes of Noah Lyles, Akani Simbine, and the rest of the sprinting elite.

“Currently, I’d say yeah [I’m the one to beat],” he said. “But it’s still pretty early. We have a lot of guys that are still in the workshop—and whenever they come out the show, we’ll see what happens.”

For now, Bednarek isn’t just talking—he’s delivering. And if his current form holds, stopping him in 2025 may prove to be mission impossible.