After winning the Zurich Diamond League in 19.62 seconds on August 27, Kenny Bednarek arrived in Brussels with expectations high. But the big question heading into the 200m was whether he would have to face Noah Lyles once again. That showdown never happened, as Lyles withdrew from the event because of an injury, leaving Bednarek to carry the American challenge alone. With the pressure on him, Bednarek stepped up against Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and came away with another impressive win, even while battling a bout of sickness.

On September 5, Bednarek won the men’s 200m in Brussels in 19.67 seconds. South Africa’s Sinesipho Dambile, the Commonwealth Games champion, finished second in 19.89 seconds, while Zimbabwe’s Makanakaishe Charamba secured third in 19.99. Tebogo, the reigning Olympic 200m champion, was unable to challenge for the podium and finished fourth in 20.01 seconds.

But for Bednarek, the victory was even more satisfying because he was not feeling his best heading into the race. Speaking after the win, the American admitted, “I’m definitely happy with this result. To get the win under these cold conditions and a bit of sickness… I can’t ask for more,” Bednarek said. Despite those difficulties, he remained focused on his race rather than worrying about the athletes around him.

Bednarek explained that he did not even know how much of a gap he had created during the race or how fast he was running. “I was just focused on myself. I tried to execute well, put them away in the beginning and don’t look back,” he said. That approach paid off as Bednarek pulled away from the field and held on to secure the victory.

The Brussels victory also continued a strong run for Bednarek. Just over a week earlier, he had produced one of the fastest performances of his career in Zurich, winning the 200m in 19.62 seconds on August 27. Bednarek also pointed out that the Brussels track has its own characteristics. “This track is a bit unique. It’s fast, but the turns are a bit wider, so you run it slightly differently than other tracks,” he explained.

But at the same time, the American believes he could still have a major performance waiting for him. “If I execute well, I can drop a massive PB,” he said. After celebrating his victory, Bednarek also made time for something away from the track. The American stayed behind to take pictures with young fans who had come to watch him race.

“There are not many days that I get the chance to do this or that they see me perform,” he said. He added that he wanted to brighten their day because he knew how much those moments could mean to them. “I try to give something back to the community,” Bednarek said. With another victory secured and his confidence growing, Bednarek now has even more reason to believe that an even faster performance could be around the corner.

But the question now is, why was Noah Lyles missing from the Brussels 200m?

Noah Lyles’ injury forces early end to 2026 season

Lyles had already decided to end his 2026 season on September 4, ruling him out of the Brussels Diamond League Final the following day. The decision came after an injury he suffered at the U.S. Championships continued to cause problems during his recovery.

At the U.S. Championships in July, Lyles won the 100m in 9.79 seconds, matching his personal best. However, during the 200m final, he pulled up coming off the turn after feeling a grabbing sensation in his hamstring. At the time, Lyles initially reported it as a cramp, and it was not a big deal. Later evaluation showed it was a small strain.

At first, his recovery was fairly good, but then other problems arose, and the injury started to impact his recovery process and ability to train. He hoped to recover for the World Athletics Ultimate Championships in Budapest but did not make as much progress as he had hoped. On September 4th, Lyles and his coach decided that it was best to turn the season off and get healthy.

That decision also saw him miss out on Brussels, as well as the Budapest championship, and cut his 2026 season short.