Kenneth Bednarek OLY[citation needed] (born October 14, 1998) is an American track and field sprinter from Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

[3][4] Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Kenny and his fraternal twin brother, Ian, were adopted by Mary Bednarek and moved to Rice Lake, Wisconsin.

Running for Rice Lake High School, Kenny won seven individual state titles and led his team to a 4×400 relay championship.

He also played football at Rice Lake, scoring 17 touchdowns as a wide receiver, kick returner and on jet sweeps during his junior and senior years, recorded on videos posted on the recruiting website hudl.com.

During his senior year, his Rice Lake Warriors teams won state championships in both track and football.

[6] Bednarek did not qualify academically for a major four-year university, so he enrolled at Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa.

[8] On May 17, 2019, running as a freshman for Indian Hills Community College in Ottumwa, Iowa at the age of 20, he ran the fourth fastest 200 meters of all time, under any conditions, running 19.49 at altitude with an exceptionally strong 6.1 mps aiding wind in the semi-finals of the NJCAA National Championships in Hobbs, New Mexico.

19.82 displaced Olympic gold medalist Tommie Smith's former world record for the #30 fastest legal race of all time.

[12] In July 2019, he left Indian Hills and signed a pro contract with Nike and began training in Florida with former world champion sprinter and Olympic medalist Justin Gatlin.

Later in the season, winner Noah Lyles won the 2019 IAAF Diamond League 200m title, entitling him to a wild card to the 2019 World Athletics Championships.

On August 10, 2020, in the COVID-19 abbreviated season, Bednarek ran a world leading 19.80 (+1.0) at the Star Athletics Sprint Showcase in Montverde, Florida.