Ottumwa -- Just over four months after representing the Indian Hills track program in the NJCAA National Championships, Kenny Bednarek will represent the United States in the 2019 IAAF World Championships. Bednarek, who turned pro after a sensational freshman season at IHCC, has been added to the US team that will compete in Doha, Qatar in the World Championships to be held Sept. 27-Oct. 6.
Bednarek qualified for the USATF squad in the 200 meters after Noah Lyles, a 2019 Diamond League champion, received a bye. The former IHCC All-American has the 4th-fastest 200m time in the world this year, a mark that came when he ran 19.82 to win the NJCAA 200 meter title in May.
According to IHCC head coach Brent Ewing, Bednarek will compete in the first round of the 200 meters on Sunday, Sept. 29, at 12:05 p.m. CT. The semifinals in the 200 are the following day at 12:50 p.m. and the finals will be run on Tuesday, Oct. 1, at 2:40 p.m.
It's been a whirlwind 2019 for Bednarek who burst onto the world and national track scene with his performances in the 200 meters and 400 meters, both indoors and outdoors, at Indian Hills. He competed in the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships at Drake Stadium in Des Moines in July and that's where he ran the 200 meter time that eventually earned a place on the USATF roster for the worlds.
It will be a star-studded roster for the United States in Doha with eight reigning world champions and 13 Rio Olympic gold medalists leading the US squad. There are a total of 55 Olympians including 26 Olympic medalists that have a combined 44 Olympic medals, and well as 78 previous World Championships team members with a total of 65 medals.
Some pretty elite company that Bednarek will be joining on track's big stage in Qatar.