Kenny Bednarek opened up on the current state of track and field, with insights on the Diamond League, Grand Slam Track, World Athletics Ultimate Championships, and why athletes contracts need to be revealed.
Two-time Olympic medallist Kenny Bednarek has broken down what's required to elevate track and field, citing that athletes revealing contract details is paramount for the growth of the sport.
The American speedster, who has had a perfect start to the 2025 season so far, made a guest appearance on The Attorney Sekou podcast, where he aired his views on the current state of track and field.
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When asked about his thoughts on how athletes are being compensated compared to other sports, Bednarek said:
"I do feel like we should be compensated a little bit more. I think we're at a turning point though, where you have the Grand Slam Track that's kind of coming in, and you have the Ultimate Championships that's coming in, and the Diamond League is kind of opening their purse as well," he revealed.
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"I mean, right now we're not where we're supposed to be, but there's room for improvement, and I'm seeing that people are trying to make the effort to make the sport better."
Bednarek further touched on what athletes mostly run away from, which is contract reveal, and gave insights on why this should change for the benefit of the sport.
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"Also, one of the things I kind of hope we can get to reveal who's making what contract-wise wise because with every other sport out there kind of shows what they're making, and I think that will kind of elevate everything else.
"Because you know I could be making this much, but I don't know what my competitor is making. And he could be making way less or way more, but we don't know. Everybody's kind of unknown," he said.
The talented track star is undefeated so far in the 2025 season and is already a two-time Grand Slam Track champion from Kingston and Miami, walking away with a total winning purse of $200,000.
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He touched on the importance of the Grand Slam Track League with praise on its commissioner, Michael Johnson, who's doing everything right to promote track.
"I've always heard people talk about track and field needs to have a change, and you know, for the past 10 years, it has always been like we need to change something. But I guess it's better late than never.
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"Michael Johnson is finally taking the initiative and trying to, you know, change the sport for the better. We need to get to a point where we have more broadcasting deals, as he's kind of bringing in CW, Peacock, and NBC, you know, maybe we can bring in some big-name celebrities. We've got to make track and field way more interesting, and that can increase the revenue as well," he concluded.
Bednarek's 200m time of 19.84s is currently the world-leading mark this year, and he has been highly tipped as one of the top sprinters to upset Noah Lyles for the sprint world titles this summer in Tokyo.