"If I didn't run with one, I'd feel little naked" - Kenny Bednarek says he wore Naruto-inspired headbands at Paris Olympics to "stand out"

By Soumik Bhattacharya

Modified Sep 16, 2024 14:09 GMT

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2024 Paris Olympics silver medalist Kenny Bednarek recently elaborated on the secret behind the Naruto-inspired headbands he donned during the Paris Olympics. This comes just a day after his heroics at the final Diamond League event of the season in Brussels.

Recently in a conversation, the two-time Olympic medalist shared that the headbands he wears help him "stay in character" on the track. The Oklahoma native also stated that the headbands are important for him as they are part of expressing himself on the track.

Bednarek said (via The New York Times):

"Just to express myself and do something to stand out as my own person. Most people, when they’re watching the race, they’re going to know exactly who that is when the gun goes off. It’s like me putting my character on. I think if I didn’t run with one, I’d feel a little naked. My forehead would feel exposed."

Kenny Bednarek further opened up about his choice of wearing the Naruto-themed headbands at the Olympics. He revealed that this decision to wear these headbands was purely based on the aim of giving a tribute to the character.

"He’s a nobody. Everybody loves him, respects him" Bednarek remarked about the character of Naruto Uzumaki.

The presence of headbands on Bednarek's person can be found in nearly all the races he has competed in at the 2024 track and field season, including the US Olympic Track and Field Trials, Paris Olympics 2024, and the Brussels Diamond League finals. The shades of his headbands generally include anime characters such as Naruto and catchy phrases such as "Beast Mode".

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Kenny Bednarek ends the final Diamond League event of the season on a high note in Brussels

Bednarek at the Wanda Diamond League finals 2024 in Brussels (Image via: Getty Images)

Competing after second and third-position finishes in Zurich and Silesia, Kenny Bednarek finally clinched the top position in the Belgian capital on Saturday. The 25-year-old clocked a time of 19.67 seconds in the men's 200m event to emerge victorious.

With this victory, Bednarek also managed to beat the reigning 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and avenge his silver-medal finish in Paris. Tebogo grabbed second place in the event after registering a run time of 19.80s, 0.13 seconds behind Bednarek. Dominican Republican Alexander Ogando finished third in 19.97 seconds.

This was Kenny Bednarek's first Diamond League victory after the 2024 Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in May.