American sprinter Kenny Bednarek accused Paris Olympic organisers of ‘favouritism’ after the initial lane assignments for today’s men’s 200m final.
Bednarek, who won 200m silver at the Tokyo Olympics and 2022 World Championships, punched his ticket into Thursday’s final after winning his semi-final with a time of 20.00.
However, despite his performance, the American found himself initially placed in lane four for the final, a somewhat unfavourable position for runners looking to navigate the bend.
Fellow countrymen Erriyon Knighton and Noah Lyles as well as Botswanan’s Letsile Tebogo and Dominican Republic’s Alexander Ogando were instead given slots in lanes 5-8 which are the preferred lanes.
After protesting, Bednarek eventually had his lane switched with Ogando, who he beat in the semis, but the American still wanted to make his feelings known about the situation.
‘Never seen favoritism like this on a global scale,’ the 25-year-old said in a post on X.
Lyles, meanwhile, who won 100m gold earlier in the week, will still race in lane five despite failing to win his semi-final and running a slower time than Bednarak.
The 100m gold medallist will fancy his chances of winning his second gold in Paris, with the 200m his preferred distance.
Lyles is twice a world champion over the distance and had won his last 26 races prior to the semi-final defeat.
He also lost both his heat and semi-final in the 100m before claiming a narrow photo-finish victory in the final.
After winning 100m gold, Lyles detailed some of the issues he has struggled with in a bid to inspire anyone reading to follow their dreams.
He posted on X: ‘I have Asthma, allergies, dyslexia, ADD, anxiety, and Depression.
‘But I will tell you that what you have does not define what you can become. Why Not You!’
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