Kenny Bednarek Stuns Letsile Tebogo with Meet Record Win in Rabat Diamond League

Kenny Bednarek secured his first Diamond League win of the season in Rabat, delivering a standout performance in the men’s 200m.

The American two-time Olympic 200m silver medallist clocked a meet record 19.69 seconds to take victory in the highly competitive race.

He held off reigning Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo, who finished second in 19.96 seconds after a strong challenge down the stretch.

South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile claimed third place in 20.03 seconds, while Jamaica’s Bryan Levell struggled to make an impact and finished eighth in 20.44 seconds.

"I didn't expect to run that fast, but I knew I had a good sub-20 in me. Being in China running those 100m's felt easy to me; I was making a few mistakes here and there, but I learned. I just came out here to my baby and executed the race. I will be focusing on both distances this year," Kenny Bednarek said after the race.

"Last year was a good telltale of what I can do in the 100m, but it's a telltale stepping stone to next year. Obviously, there are the Ultimate Championships. You are gonna see fast times and good competitions out there. Being able to go against the best, I mean, I am one of the best, but I like competing, so I can't wait for another year.

"Oh, yeah, indeed, it's the second time I've won here. It has been three years since I have been here; I kind of forgot what it looked like, but there are a lot of fans out here. I love the city of Rabat; I love Morocco."

On his part, Letsile Tebogo said: "The last time I ran a 200m, it was a 20.70, so improving my season's best was bound to happen today. Consistently lowering my season's best shows there is clear progress and that there's light at the end of the tunnel. I'm happy with how things went and I'm already looking forward to the next one.

"I believe everything has its start and its finish, so we just take it step by step. We don't overcomplicate things, but we still have the Ultimate Championships ahead of us. That remains the main goal and the main target. This result shows that I am right on track."

Letsile Tebogo has struggled to make a mark in the 100m, starting with his seventh-place finish at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai in 10.12 seconds.

The former world 200m bronze medallist then headed to the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen, where he crossed the finish line eighth in the 100m.

Letsile Tebogo was fresh from competing at the World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, where the men’s 4x400m relay team claimed a gold medal.

On his part, Kenny Bednarek started his season at the Miramar Invitational, competing in the men’s 4x100m relay team that claimed top honours.

He proceeded to the Tom Jones Memorial before making his 100m season debut at the Diamond League Meeting in Shanghai, where he finished third in 9.98 seconds.

Kenny Bednarek then lined up for the men’s 100m at the Diamond League Meeting in Xiamen, where he finished fourth in 10.03 seconds.

Bryan Levell, the world 200m bronze medallist, also kick-started his season with an impressive indoor campaign before heading to the Velocity Fest, where he competed in the 100m and won in 9.90 seconds.

He then raced at the Kip Keino Classic, finishing second in the men’s 200m before heading to the JAAA / Puma Meet #1.

Sinesipho Dambile has also enjoyed a successful 2026 season, winning the men’s 200m race at the South African Championships, crossing the finish line in 20.02 seconds.

The South African sprinter then proceeded to the Kip Keino Classic, where he clocked 19.77 seconds to win the race.