At this point, maybe it’s hard to figure out who was more “unsportsmanlike”. Was it Noah Lyles for that cold staredown, or Kenny Bednarek for shoving Lyles? But that final stretch of the 200 meters at the U.S. Championships definitely sent ripples across Hayward Field. However, reports say both athletes have reconciled and are ready to face each other at the Lausanne Diamond League on August 20. Before that, track and field legend Justin Gatlin gave a massive nod to the 26-year-old Bednarek.

In 2023, he lit up Nairobi with a smooth 9.98 seconds, a whisper of what was coming. Fast forward to 2024, he scorched Eugene in 9.87. But in 2025, he cracked the code—9.79 seconds, the sixth-fastest American ever. Level up would be an understatement because the Tulsa-born launched him. That was Bednarek finally speaking in lightning.

Thus, the 43-year-old Olympian, Gatlin, who clinched Gold in the 2004 Athens Olympic Games in the 100-meter category, perfectly understands what Kung Fu Kenny has been working on. Undoubtedly, Bednarek flirted with thunder and came out roaring. So, speaking on the Ready Set Go podcast, Gatlin said, “Oh man, the 100, bro. Oh man, I don’t know. Listen, Kenny handled business. Obviously, we’ve seen Kenny through the Grand Slam this season. He’s been working on his start. He told the world he’s been working on his start.”

Further, the former World Champion noted the changes the 26-year-old has brought to his style. “You can see that he’s been working on his range of motion. He has bigger arms going through that race. They’re not kind of tight and short-rotating like we used to see him. He’s trying to create more velocity and more speed. And that’s what helped get him to that 97, man.” He also said, “Him being comfortable running that time, you are going to cramp in situations like that because your body’s never been pushed to that level before.”

Well, on Sunday’s USATF faceoff against Noah Lyles, Bednarek was a heartbeat behind at 19.67 seconds. And maybe, Justin Gatlin knows why. He noted, “I guarantee you that Kenny was definitely sore going into the next day or either the day after that, which would have put him at his first round of the 200. So, knowing that he had to navigate his body to where it had never been before and then had to come back to be able to do it again and go into the 200, which is crazy.”

Recalling his days, Justin Gatlin wasn’t just reminiscing—he was throwing it back to an era where doubling up was the norm, not a headline. Everyone sprinted the hundred and came back hungry for the two. Fatigue? Irrelevant. That grind was gospel, and Gatlin lived it loud. But coming back to Kenny Bednarek’s on-track episode with Lyles, well, let’s just say the drama is far from over, because reports say reconciliation has entered the chat!

The Kenny Bednarek vs Noah Lyles saga continues in loud and subtle ways

Noah Lyles clocked 19.63 seconds, edged past Kenny Bednarek’s 19.67 in the U.S. 200-meter final, then tossed a glance that sparked chaos. Bednarek shoved, Lyles barked back, and Hayward Field buzzed with drama. Now, their unfinished business heads to Lausanne on August 20. The 100-meter lineup is stacked: Lyles, Bednarek, Kishane Thompson, Oblique Seville, Courtney Lindsey, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, and Swiss wildcard Timothé Mumenthaler. But here’s the twist.

Just when Lausanne was gearing up for a sprint saga, Kung Fu Kenny pulled the plug with an Instagram post that read, “Will not be racing in the Lausanne Diamond League event. Coach’s plan – Poland and World Championships next.” At 26, he’s now steering toward the Silesia Diamond League in Poland on August 16, followed by Tokyo’s World Championships from September 13 to 21. Yet, that post-race tension with Lyles still lingers like unfinished business.

Meanwhile, the two-time Olympic silver medalist has cooled the heat with Noah Lyles, confirming there’s “no bad blood.” Speaking to CNN Sports, he said, “As you saw, Noah stared me down. I gave a push.” After a fiery race and an hour-long talk, they reached a truce. “We both came to an agreement with things, and we’re good now.” Emotions sprinted, but clarity eventually jogged in.

The track gave us fire, but the fallout gave us flavor. Bednarek may have bowed out of Lausanne, yet the saga still sprints on through whispers, wounds, and world-class times. From flying fists to flying splits, the drama simmered down, but the rivalry is far from retired. Poland, Tokyo, and maybe fate await the next spark.