Bashing Netflix’s ‘Sprint,’ Track and Field Icons Issue Earnest Plea for Kenny Bednarek: “Hope He Finds”

Kenny Bednarek entered the Paris Olympics with a goal similar to that of any other athlete: to win gold medals in every competition he participated in. However, in the back of his mind, something deeper was brewing. In the second edition of the Sprint docuseries, the 26-year-old revealed it. His confession centered on a personal mission to uncover his ancestral roots. He believed that winning a gold medal in the French capital would have been a soul-stirring achievement. Do you know why?

In episode 4, Bednarek can be heard saying, “Winning the Olympic gold could help me find out more about myself, my heritage, and, you know, my biological brothers and sisters that I’ve had.” After being adopted at a young age, making wishes such as exploring ancestral roots are normal occurrences. The athlete, however, added a twist by bringing up the topic of Olympic medals in it. According to him, only his victor’s tag will help him gain media attention, and his appearance in mainstream news may provide him with a route to finding his actual family. However, this section of the story has a few notable supporters. 

Track and field veterans shout out for having the extraordinary goal 

Justin Gatlin is not a big fan of the Sprint series. Rather, once he said, “I didn’t like it… they blindsided a lot of the characters.” But on Kenny Bednarek’s revelation on the show, he doesn’t display a similar belief. Want to know how? In the latest episode of the Ready Set Go podcast, his colleague, Rodney Green, brought in the topic. In the next few minutes, the former athlete remained all support for Kenny’s goal. He meanwhile said, “Kung Fu Kenny man, I didn’t know what he came from and why he’s vying to get the gold medal to find his brothers and sisters. That was very touching. Soon, he chimed in, saying, “I hope to God like he finds his siblings.” Gatlin, sitting on the same show, nodded in agreement. Later, he had his turn to share his thoughts on the matter. 

In the podcast, the former Olympic champion laid out, “That’s Heavy on you man and I appreciate they showed that because that right there tells me and I’m a Kenny fan, but people watching, I feel like he gained so many more fans because of that.”  Isn’t it the same element Kenny was looking for? In episode 4, the Oklahoma-born let his grief slip. He eventually said, “You know, the media hasn’t really paid attention to me as much as everybody else.” That has a chunk of reality in it. But now, his admission on the platform is proving to be helpful. He is finding an entry in the discussions and his cause is receiving hype. That may bring more fans to him. But what about his victory in the Paris Olympics? Did he achieve that and tick the boxes on his wish list? 

Kenny Bednarek cries out on failing to live up to his ‘expectations’

In Paris, Kenny Bednarek entered three events with the aim of claiming gold in all of them. However, his ultimate goal went beyond winning medals. He hoped that his success would capture the media’s attention, sparking interest in his story and aiding him in uncovering his ancestral roots. To prepare for this journey, he even took a DNA test, which revealed that he was 75.9% Nigerian—a discovery that deepened his commitment to tracing his family history. Yet, fate had other plans for him.

In the bustling French capital, Kenny lost the men’s 100m final, earned silver in the men’s 200m event, and was disqualified in the men’s 4x100m relay final. The outcomes did not meet his expectations. Rather, the thrashing caused a deep sorrow in the 26-year-old’s heart. He said, “The 100 meters was just devastating. It was just a mental screwup on my part. Sometimes you crash and burn, and that’s what pretty much happened.” The same docuseries even captured him crying to his coach, claiming, “I’m tired of losing.” Naturally, the emotional blow doubled the pain, leaving the athlete paralyzed. In the meantime, he also lost the chance to find his ancestral roots. But has he given up on his mission? Not any sort of news has come. But Green has his blessings ready. In the podcast, he said, “I hope that happens for him, man, because that would do so much for him.” What do you think of this, anyway?