American sprinter Kenny Bednarek is accusing race officers of “favoritism” over the lane assignments of the boys’s 200 meter remaining on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Bednarek, the world-ranked No. 2 sprinter behind compatriot Noah Lyles, was sad with the lane task for Thursday’s race as he was positioned away from the “most well-liked positions.”
Bednarek gained his semifinal race with a time of 20.00, the second quickest of the ultimate qualifiers,
“Kung Fu Kenny” was initially set to begin in lane 4 whereas Lyles was set to race in lane 5.
American Erriyon Knighton and Botswanan runner Letsile Tebogo had been positioned in lanes 6 and seven, respectively.
The center 5-8 lanes are thought-about the popular positions for the 200m, as the within and out of doors lanes have points with visibility across the bend.
“By no means seen favoritism like this on a worldwide scale,” Bednarek, the defending Olympic silver medalist, stated in a publish on X.
Bednarek launched a protest concerning the lane assignments, and organizers to reassign the lanes.
He was moved to lane 8 following the protest.
Lyles, Bednarek, Knighton and Tebogo are the top-ranked runners within the occasion with the latter three all successful their semifinals on Wednesday.
2024 PARIS OLYMPICS
Tebogo was the quickest out of all three semifinals, ending in 19.96, adopted by Bednarek (20.00) and Lyles (20.08) whereas Knighton and Dominican Republic runner Alexander Ogando each ran at 20.09.
Ogando is now working in lane 4 after the officers switched him and Bednarek.
World Athletics officers full three separate attracts to find out the lane assignments in for the 200m finals.
The boys’s 200m remaining is about to go off at 2:30 p.m. Japanese Time.
With Put up wires.
