Latest news with #TeamUnitedStates
Forbes
a day ago
- Sport
- Forbes
After Winning Big At Grand Slam Track, What Lies Ahead For Kenny Bednarek
PARIS, FRANCE - AUGUST 08: Silver medalist Kenneth Bednarek of Team United States celebrates after ... More competing in the Men's 200m Final on day thirteen of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Stade de France on August 08, 2024 in Paris, France. (Photo by) Kenny Bednarek is not done for the season. Building up his confidence, which has undoubtedly become easier with multiple wins at Michael Johnson's Grand Slam track, Bednarek expects to continue winning and living up to his fans' expectations. 'They expect to see me double. That's pretty much what I've done every single year. But this year, I feel like, in particular, it's going to be even more special. I've been winning a lot of races, and that's been building a lot of confidence. So, winning the trials, I'm just expecting big things. I want to go out there and execute my race and have some fun,' the 26-year-old said to me during a Zoom interview. So far, Bednarek has 'checked out' multiple impressive achievements from his season goal list; one of them was to remain 'undefeated in Grand Slam.' However, Bednarek wants more and aims to continue his streak at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo. 'I want to double this year. I have a personal goal of running 9.7, and I want to run faster than 19.5 this year. I want to come out of Tokyo with three gold medals, being a part of the relay as well. And yeah, I just want to stay undefeated. I think that's one of my main goals: every race that I go in, I just want to compete, execute, and just win. Just have a winning streak.' These expectations are not random for Bednarek. The 26-year-old has been building up a steady momentum over the years, both physically and mentally. At the Tokyo Olympics, he placed second in the 200-meter event, falling short of a win to Andre De Grasse, who secured the first individual gold with a national record. For the next two years, Bednarek didn't manage to secure gold at any global athletics event finals. In Paris, he successfully defended his silver medal. Running a 19.62, he matched Andre De Grasse's time at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. Bednarek was faster than before, quietly edging out Noah Lyles, one of the favourites to win the event. However, he still had to settle for second as Letsile Tebogo created history in 19.46. At the Diamond League, Bednarek finally tasted victory. Winning the final leg in Brussels, he managed to surpass Tebogo to become the champion in 19.67. Following this fairly successful season, 'Kung Fu Kenny's' strategy changed. He dissected his previous races to understand what needed to be changed. 'After the Olympics and going into the Diamond League, there are a few things I was trying to work on technique-wise and mentally. I feel like I figured out how to run my race the way I want to and mentally just be in the zone every single time I step on the track. Just going into 2025, it was just focusing on those two things, just executing my race, and mentally just staying in the zone. Because I've always known that in every race that I've run, the difference between me getting first place, second place, or third was just execution, and then mentally if I'm fully tapped in.' Before the start of this season, Bednarek realized the importance of easing up. The tension he had faced while participating in the previous races was no longer there. The Wisconsin-based sprinter achieved the 'flow state' required to run his best. 'Just going into 2025, it's just focusing on those two things and doing all the hard work at practice and trying to just tap into the race. So, that's pretty much what's happened this year. I've consistently been doing what I wanted to do at practice, and then putting on the track and then the race itself has become a lot easier for me. The times have been a lot faster, but I've been doing it the easy way. I feel like the times that I ran in the past, I was usually doing it the hard way because I used to always tense up in my races.' Grand Slam Track Experience TOPSHOT - USA's Kenneth Bednarek reacts after winning the men's 200m short sprint event at the Grand ... More Slam Track competition at the National Stadium in Kingston, Jamaica, on April 5, 2025. (Photo by Ricardo Makyn / AFP) (Photo by RICARDO MAKYN/AFP via Getty Images) Running a good time also became easier with new and improved environments provided to the sprinter. In addition to the $12.6 million prize pot, the debut season of Michael Johnson's start-up track league also gave Bednarek a stage with a 'lot more freedom' and never-before-seen perks. 'I would say the first thing is just getting first-class tickets to every event that we've gone to. That was something that I was pretty new to. So that is something I really enjoyed. But my friends and family also had the freedom to be where I was, where the practice track was, being closer to the infield, and everything else. I guess just all the media coverage was one of the biggest things. With the other leagues, you get a select few people who do the media coverage and all that. But I feel like with the Grand Slam, a lot of people had the opportunity to showcase what their plans were, why they were there, and what they're expected to do at the Grand Slam.' In April, Bednarek won the 100m and 200m races at the Grand Slam Track Kingston, the inaugural edition of the league. Securing a comfortable lead against his opponents, he won the race in 20.07 seconds and was followed by Zharnel Hughes of Britain, who couldn't beat him despite a season best of 20.37 seconds. Bednarek, who wanted to prove the win was not a'fluke,' claimed podium finishes in Miami. He also set an imposing record in the Grand Slam track races. The 26-year-old clinched the gold medal in the 100-meter dash of the last leg of the event in Philadelphia, beating Andre De Grasse and Christian Coleman. Bednarek finished with 9.86 seconds on the clock, tying the world lead and also achieving a new personal best. This run was preceded by a 19.95-second victory in the 200-meter sprint just a day before. 'Everything about the Grand Slam, I really enjoyed. The competition was there. They showcased our personalities, and a lot of the fans got to see the inside of who we are and saw the background of the athlete, from why they got on the track to what motivates them and everything else. Jamaica, I've never really been there before. Hearing that the first race was going to be there, I was quite curious about what to expect. And, you know, I just love the Jamaican vibe and the island vibe in itself. And then going into Miramar, I've been there several times. So, just curious about what they're going to change, like how they're going to do the setup and everything, because that track itself is very fast. But the stadium is not as big as Jamaica. That was pretty good as well. And then going to Philly, I think that's the one that I really enjoyed the most, just because I had no clue why we were going to Philly. I didn't understand that there are a lot of track and field fans up there. I just knew that they had the history of Franklin Field, where they have Penn relays and everything else. And I knew that was going to be a little bit chilly out there. I wasn't sure how many fans were going to be there, just because it's a pretty big stadium. But once I stepped out there, I was like, holy crap, there's like a lot of people there. And I always heard that people were saying the track is weird. So once I stepped on the track the first day, just to actually see what they meant, like the turn of the 200 is so unorthodox. Everything is just a lot longer on the turn. And then the 100 meters straight, it only feels like it's an 80-meter stretch. So going out there, running pretty quick, it was a good feeling. It built a lot of confidence because I guess running 19.95 was a pretty big deal. So it just helped me build a lot of confidence. And then just going undefeated against a stacked field every single race, it just really helped my confidence. That's really great.' Overcoming Injuries And Setbacks Bednarek faced his first injury in 2019. After turning pro and qualifying for the Doha World Championships, he pulled his hamstring. The experience was a scary one for the then 20-year-old Bednarek. But the postponement of the Tokyo Olympics gave Kenny time to heal and make 2020 a recovery year. The following year, Bednarek had his breakout year, claiming an Olympic silver medal. But just after becoming an Olympian in December, he broke his big toe, making Bednarek think his 'career was done.' He was forced to take a two-month hiatus without rehab or running. Yet, he managed to make the U.S. team for the 2022 World Championships and claimed a silver medal in the 200-meter event with a time of 19.77. Following this, Bednarek now knows how to manage injuries. 'I'm just like, okay, I've been here before; here's what we need to do. Recovery is, you know, three to five days, and then onto the next race.' Every year, Bednarek tries to understand his body's needs more and improve accordingly. He has also invested in various technologies to cut back on his injuries. 'I got a red light therapy machine, a PEMF machine, and a sauna. We just bought a cold plunge recently. I'm trying to get an oxygen chamber as well. Those things have really helped me feel better every single day I step on the track, and even when I do have a minor injury or a significant injury, it helps me recover quicker than I usually would if I didn't have those things, like I said before, every single year. I'm just trying to understand the body, why certain things happen, what's on, and what's turned off. When you are always running, every single day, tryna break limits, you're always gonna be redlining. The faster you run, the higher the risk of your injuries. So, I have a good team around me, the people who steered me the right way, I have a nice osteopath that I work with, a massage therapist, a chiropractor, and a nutritionist as well. I mean, there's a lot of work that I do just to kinda not get injured, and if I do, you know how quick I can bounce back from it. Honestly, just doing all these things really helped my confidence because when I do have something.'
Forbes
4 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
A Look Into Katie Ledecky's 800 Free Dominance; Will It Be Challenged At Singapore?
NANTERRE, FRANCE - JULY 31: Katie Ledecky of Team United States celebrates after winning gold in the ... More Women's 1500m Freestyle Final on day five of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on July 31, 2024 in Nanterre, France. (Photo by) In Fukuoka, Japan, Katie Ledecky surpassed Michael Phelps. Winning the 800 free race, she claimed her 16th gold medal to hold the most individual world titles in swimming history. Now, in 2025, fans may witness Katie Ledecky create history at the World Championships once again. The 28-year-old will be aiming to win her seventh consecutive gold medal in the 800 free and become the first swimmer to claim seven world titles in the same event. Ledecky's highly successful history in this event certainly makes her a favourite to win it. She has also constantly posted great times throughout the season so far, including breaking her first long-course world record in seven years in May. A Look Into Katie Ledecky's 800 Free Legacy Just like 1500, 800 free has been one of the biggest strengths of Ledecky. At her debut Olympics, joining as the youngest member of the U.S. team at the age of 15, she claimed the gold in the 800 free with an American record, launching her career with multiple historic outings in the future. The next year, she broke the 800 free record for the first time. Following what seemed to be just one of multiple records set by Ledecky, the swimmer managed to break the record five times between 2013 and 2016. After this, she continued to maintain her consistency in the event, claiming two Olympic gold medals at Tokyo and Paris, respectively. But during all these seven years, the 800 free record remained untouched. Notably, following the Tokyo Olympics, Ledecky made some changes; she left Stanford to train with Anthony Nesty at the University of Florida. Ledecky's momentum showcased a significant resurgence, claiming podium finishes at the World Championships and the Paris Olympics, and surpassing herself yet again, breaking the 800 free record in May 2025. One month later, at the U.S. Nationals, Ledecky qualified for the Singapore World championships, clocking the third-fastest time ever, in 8:05.76 seconds. However, Ledecky's road to maintain 800 free dominance could be challenged by 18-year-old Summer McIntosh at Competitor or potential winner: Summer McIntosh After facing disappointment at the Tokyo Olympics, the world witnessed Summer McIntosh's rapid rise in the fly and individual medley categories. However, apart from these events, in February 2024, McIntosh shocked the world by breaking Ledecky's 13-year-old winning streak by nearly nine seconds. The Canadian swimmer handed defeat to arguably one of the best 800 free swimmers in the world, Ledecky's first final loss in the event since 2010. Following this, the duo was expected to produce one of the greatest showdowns at the Paris Olympics. However, McIntosh decided to skip the event, taking home three Olympic Gold medals in the 200 medley, 200 fly, and 400 medley. Now in Singapore, the 800 free race can be the event that decides what this category would look like at LA 2028. At the 2025 Canadian Trials, McIntosh managed to touch the wall in 8:05.07. Her performance helped her surpass Ledecky's U.S. Nationals time and clock the new third-fastest time behind Ledecky's 8:04.12 world record and the previous world record time set in Rio. With this time, McIntosh also managed to take down her Canadian record set in February by five seconds. Since competing in the free event at the Tokyo Olympics at the age of 14, Summer McIntosh has come a long way. Despite racing the 800 free only a few times since, McIntosh remains the second fastest swimmer in the category and the second swimmer to break the 8:10 sub-barrier after Ledecky. McIntosh, who is going to participate in 800 free for the first time 'on the world level,' thinks 'Katie is in her top form this season and the match up will be awesome' as the duo 'bring the best out of each other.'
Newsweek
6 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Toiling Mets Reportedly Interested In Veteran Free Agent Reliever
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The New York Mets entered the All-Star break trailing the Philadelphia Phillies by a half-game for the National League East and have many pitchers on the injured list for various amounts of time. According to Will Sammon of The Athletic, the Mets are among several teams that have looked into adding veteran reliever David Robertson. YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - JULY 31: David Robertson #30 of Team United States celebrates winning the game 4-2 during the baseball opening round Group B game between Team South Korea and Team United States on day... YOKOHAMA, JAPAN - JULY 31: David Robertson #30 of Team United States celebrates winning the game 4-2 during the baseball opening round Group B game between Team South Korea and Team United States on day eight of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Yokohama Baseball Stadium on July 31, 2021 in Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan. More Photo by Yuichi Masuda/2021 Getty Images Much like veteran starter Lance Lynn, Robertson did not receive a contract in the offseason. Unlike Lynn, Robertson did not opt for retirement and instead has continued to throw in hopes of earning a chance in the big leagues once again. Robertson pitched last season with the Texas Rangers, appearing in 68 games, posting a 3.00 ERA. Robertson turned 40 years old in April and is on the older end of the league, but was serviceable last year and could be again for a contender down the stretch. The Mets make sense to be interested, as they have suffered more than their fair share of pitching injuries this year. The Mets have lost three total pitchers to season-ending injuries this season, and one late last season, who is missing all of this year. Robertson would give veteran depth to the New York bullpen, and if he continues pitching the way he did last season, another high-leverage arm in the bag for the Mets. With the trade deadline fast approaching, if the Mets do not like the market for relief pitchers, Robertson could be an alternate route to fill their needs. More MLB: World Series At Spring Training Ballpark? MLB Reportedly Finds Solution To Rays Problem
Newsweek
7 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
How to Watch USA vs Singapore: Live Stream Men's Water Polo, TV Channel
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The USA Men's National Water Polo Team will wrap up group play with a matchup against Singapore on Wednesday at 7:10 a.m. ET on Peacock. A win there would likely secure a top spot in the group and build even more momentum heading into the knockout rounds. Hannes Daube of Team United States shoots in the Men's Preliminary Round - Group A match between Team Croatia and Team United States on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La... Hannes Daube of Team United States shoots in the Men's Preliminary Round - Group A match between Team Croatia and Team United States on day ten of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Paris La Defense Arena on August 05, 2024 in Nanterre, France. More Photo byHow to Watch USA vs Singapore Date: Wednesday, July 16, 2025 Time: 7:10 AM ET Channel: Peacock Stream: Peacock (STREAM LIVE) Team USA continued its strong run at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships, picking up a second consecutive victory with a 16-7 rout of Brazil. The duo of Ryder Dodd and Max Irving led the charge for the United States, each scoring four goals in a balanced and explosive attacking effort. Their ability to find space, finish cleanly, and keep the Brazilian defense on its heels helped the U.S. build a comfortable lead early and never look back. Ryder Dodd of Team United States shoots during the Preliminary Round Men's Water Polo match between Team United States and Team Brazil on day four of the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships at OCBC Aquatic... Ryder Dodd of Team United States shoots during the Preliminary Round Men's Water Polo match between Team United States and Team Brazil on day four of the Singapore 2025 World Aquatics Championships at OCBC Aquatic Centre on July 14, 2025 in Singapore. More Photo by YongAll of Team USA's matches at the World Championships are available to stream live on Peacock (Start your subscription). Whether you're an early riser on the West Coast or catching the replay later, fans can follow every match as the U.S. continues its quest for gold. Live stream the USA vs Singapore on Peacock: Start your subscription now! Regional restrictions may apply. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation.
New York Post
14-06-2025
- Sport
- New York Post
Simone Biles refused to see common sense question before mocking Riley Gaines
There are none so blind as those who refuse to see. Her medals, fame and fortune won — presumably fairly — Simone Biles now has an international forum to advocate for unfair play, aka cheating. Biles last week publicly trash-tweeted unabashed fair-play advocate Riley Gaines for her front-and-center activism to rid girls and women's sports of former males increasingly competing as women in winning formerly level-fielded competitions. Advertisement 7 Gold medalist Simone Biles of Team United States celebrates on the podium during the medal ceremony for the Artistic Gymnastics Women's Vault Final on day eight of the Olympic Games Paris 2024 at Bercy Arena on August 3, 2024. Getty Images Gaines — having finished second in the 2022 NCAA women's swimming championships to Penn's Lia Thomas, a 6-foot-1 trans who also swam on Penn's men's team — blew her whistle on behalf of other talented, trained and fully committed female athletes who have and continue to suffer a similar fate.
