Kenny Bednarek is on a roll! After a gold at the Bahamas World Relays, Kung Fu Kenny followed it up with style with another milestone at the Doha Diamond League last week. Finishing the men’s 200m sprint in 19.67 seconds, Bednarek clinched the world lead in the event, while also breaking Noah Lyles’ previous record in the meet. However, while the reigning 200m world champ Lyles promises to reclaim his throne come August, at the 2024 Paris Olympics, the athletes also have other things to worry about.

When the World Athletics and the American track and field apex body announced their respective payment plans for gold medal winners in Paris ($50,000 and $37,000, respectively), the community was startled by how meager the amounts were and how the governing bodies failed to properly commend an athlete’s dedication, passion, and hard work. And it looks like Kenny, too, is scrambling for options on how to make sure his loudest cheerleaders witness as he takes to the tracks at the upcoming Games, all thanks to the same reason.

Noah Lyles sympathizes with Bednarek’s complaint

In a recent post on X, Kenny expressed his concerns about being able to have his family in his corner at the upcoming events. “The cost to fly and accommodate my team at the trials and Olympics is pretty wild,” sounded the worried Olympian. He noted: “Prices are jacked up.” The Olympic Track and Field Team Trails will be held in Oregon next month, and Kenny was hopeful of being egged on by the vehement cheering prowess of his close ones. However, the possibility seems like a far cry at the moment due to the amount of money needed to do so, especially given the absence of help or support from the USATF.

While Kenny’s family members still hang on a thread about their chance to back up their prodigal son on the grand stage, his national teammate Noah was prompt to extend his own response over the matter. “It’s hard for all of us man,” confessed the world champion sprinter in his reply to Kenny’s post.

The discussion between the two American powerhouses didn’t end there. Bednarek called the entire situation “crazy,” highlighting how the system is making it difficult for athletes to look at their own families as their most vehement support systems on the big stage. “It’s crazy because that’s when we need our entire support system the most,” fumed Kenny’s retort under the same thread.

The discussion between Kenny and Noah only sheds light on the broader issue that has the country’s track community in splits.

Low payment creates tension

The disparity between payments received by track and field athletes as compared to other sports is startling. The conditions are so dire that many attributed Sha’Carri Richardson’s absence from the 2024 Miramar Invitational to this very reason. Olympic veteran Michael Johnson also spoke out about the issue when Kyree King revealed just how little money he received as a prize for winning a race, and that too two months after the actual tournament was over. Others have also noted that it isn’t a question of underpayment, but rather it’s the sport itself that’s not making enough profits and is forced to pay the athletes accordingly.

While the rot of the matter is yet to be addressed and solved with the joint cooperation from both the governing bodies and the athletes, it remains to be seen if the American athletes manage to fall back on their family members’ support in Paris as a motivation to edge past their opponents in a bid to clinch glory for the country.