Latest news with #2024SummerOlympics
Yahoo
26-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Runner Yared Nuguse has pet tortoise, Olympic bronze medal and dreams of one day being orthodontist
FILE - Bronze medalist Yared Nuguse, of the United States, poses on the podium after the men's 1500-meter final 2024 Summer Olympics, Aug. 6, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Matthias Schrader, File) A middle-distance runner nicknamed 'The Goose' has a pet tortoise named Tyro who hangs out in a terrarium. That seems almost like a whimsical scene from the pages of a Dr. Seuss book. Yared Nuguse embraces the irony of having his reptilian friend, who serves as a reminder to take each step slow and steady, no matter how fast things speeds up. Advertisement These days, Nuguse has found the ideal tempo between track and not track. On the running front, he's speedier than ever, setting the world indoor mile record over the winter — it was broken five days later — and winning a bronze medal in the 1,500 meters at the Paris Olympics last summer. He's at peace in his personal life, too, and publicly came out as gay in a social media post in March. It was an important step in 'just being completely comfortable with myself and anything I want to do," he said. 'I've found this balance where everything's just generally feeling pretty good and going pretty well,' added Nuguse, who races in the 800 and 1,500 meters at Grand Slam Track's next stop in Philadelphia this weekend. 'If I take a step back and just really remember what you're doing is running for fun, it makes it feel a lot less stressful.' Advertisement Nuguse, an aspiring orthodontist Teeth, not track, have long been part of his career path, with Nuguse's goal to one day become an orthodontist. It's just that his success in racing caused a detour from dental school. It was only through word of mouth that he even wound up in the track sphere. He grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, where his high school gym teacher spotted his running potential and recommended him to the track coach. Nuguse ran his first-ever mile in roughly 5 minutes, 30 seconds. His senior year he won the 800-, 1,600- and 3,200-meter races at the Kentucky Class AAA track championships. Advertisement Nuguse attended Notre Dame, where he majored in biochemistry, planning for dental school, as he excelled in cross country and track. In 2019, he captured the 1,500 at the NCAA championships. Two years later, he finished runner-up to Cole Hocker at the same meet. Nuguse also qualified that season for the U.S. Olympic trials, where he took third and earned a spot to the Tokyo Games. He put dentistry aspirations on the back burner when he made Team USA. 'I'm like, 'Maybe this is something I can continue doing?'' said Nuguse, who didn't race in Tokyo because of a quad injury. 'I figured running can't wait, but dental school can." Advertisement Bronze medal in Paris Last summer at the Paris Games, Nuguse was in the medal mix in the 1,500 heading into the home stretch. The race was billed as a showdown between British runner Josh Kerr and Norway's Jakob Ingebrigtsen. But Hocker and Nuguse crashed the party, with Hocker surging past Kerr for the win and Nuguse closing fast to beat out Ingebrigtsen for the bronze. It was part of a memorable showing by the American distance core, with Grant Fisher capturing bronze in the 5,000 and 10,000. Kenneth Rooks also took silver in the 3,000-meter steeplechase. 'A lot of us aren't afraid to tangle it up with people who have been considered the best at these longer distance events,' Nuguse said. 'That's what makes track so much fun — having new things happen.' Advertisement World indoor mile record Nuguse, who earned 'The Goose' nickname as a play on his last name, trains under coach Dathan Ritzenhein in Boulder, Colorado. He is participating in Grand Slam Track's new league, building toward U.S. championships later this summer and, should things go well, world championships in Tokyo in September. His speed was certainly on display three months ago at the Millrose Games in New York, where Nuguse broke the world indoor mark for the mile by finishing in 3:46.63. He eclipsed the record of 3:47.01 set by Yomif Kejelcha of Ethiopia in March 2019. 'It just felt really good, honestly,' said Nuguse, who celebrated with a night of karaoke, including his favorite Taylor Swift tune, 'You Belong With Me.' Advertisement His world record lasted five days; Ingebrigtsen broke it by 1.49 seconds at a race in France. 'I don't think it's the last time we'll see the world record broken," said Nuguse, who is sponsored by the shoe and apparel company On. Family life Family fuels Nuguse. He's the fourth of six children of Alem and Mana, who are from Tigray, a war-torn region in northern Ethiopia. 'We've talked like a little bit about it,' Nuguse said of his parents' path to the U.S., where they arrived at different times in the 1980s before settling in Kentucky. 'My parents were always just working hard to provide the best futures for their kids. I've been fortunate.' Advertisement Nuguse's announcement In late March, Nuguse introduced the world to his boyfriend by sharing a series of photos on Instagram. 'That post was more important for myself than it was for telling people,' the 25-year-old said. 'I'm OK with everyone knowing now. I can be more at peace because I'm continuing to accept myself and every funny little part of me.' Tyro the Tortoise Nuguse's pet tortoise's full name is Tyrosine, which is an amino acid. Most of the time Tyro just chills in his terrarium. 'He's a great little guy,' said Nuguse, who's had him for nearly four years. Nuguse appreciates the contrast. 'Fast man, slow animal,' Nuguse cracked. 'I like the idea he absorbs my slow energy. Although, he's very fast himself — when he's motivated.' ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
03-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Path of sprinter Kenny Bednarek led to Olympic silver medals. Now 'Kung Fu Kenny' searches for gold.
FILE - Kenneth Bednarek, of the United States, poses after winning the silver medal in the men's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) FILE - Kenneth Bednarek, of the United States, looks back after winning a heat in the men's 100-meter race at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File) FILE - Kenneth Bednarek, of the United States, looks back after winning a heat in the men's 100-meter race at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File) FILE - Kenneth Bednarek, of the United States, poses after winning the silver medal in the men's 200 meters final at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis, File) FILE - Kenneth Bednarek, of the United States, looks back after winning a heat in the men's 100-meter race at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 3, 2024, in Saint-Denis, France. (AP Photo/Petr David Josek, File) The path of sprinter Kenny Bednarek has been far from easy or conventional. Plenty of uphill climbs, too. His experiences, though — foster care, being adopted, going the community college route, constantly overshadowed — has only added power to his alter ego, 'Kung Fu Kenny.' That version of him emerges when he steps on the track and slips on his signature headband. Advertisement That version of him looks at his two Olympic silver medals in two ways — reminders, yes, of the success he's had, but a motivator for the success still yet to achieve. This season, he's sharpened his burst out of the starting blocks and took his nutrition to another level in an effort to turn silver finishes into gold. That starts possibly later this season at world championships in Tokyo and down the road at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. 'I know I have the capability of being a champion,' said Bednarek, who races this weekend in Kingston, Jamaica, at the inaugural event of Grand Slam Track, a new professional league. 'I've always just been hungry.' The path to the Olympics Advertisement Born in Tulsa, Oklahoma, he and his fraternal twin brother, Ian, were adopted out of foster care at 4 years old by Mary Ann Bednarek, who'd already taken in two girls. The family moved to Rice Lake in northwest Wisconsin when he was 12. 'I had a lot of issues when I was a kid,' the 26-year-old Kenny Bednarek explained. 'My mom took so much time to help me become the person I am today. I mean, without her love, care and support, I don't know where I would be. 'I might not be 'Kung Fu Kenny.' I might be somewhere stranded. She's the big reason why I'm here today.' Track, too. Because on the track, Bednarek could let his mind wander — to the places his feet might one day take him. Advertisement 'Track was just the gateway that let me feel free,' explained Bednarek, who also played football. 'It was just me against the clock." From Indian Hills to the Olympics Bednarek didn't go to a big-time track powerhouse out of high school. Instead, he spent a season at Indian Hills Community College in Iowa. That one season, though, showed Bednarek's vast potential. He won 200 and 400 national titles at the 2019 NJCAA DI Outdoor Track & Field Championships. Still, he's been largely overlooked in a crowded field of high-profile sprinters that includes Americans standouts Noah Lyles, Fred Kerley and Erriyon Knighton, along with Andre De Grasse of Canada and Botswana's Letsile Tebogo. Advertisement Playing second-fiddle used to bother Bednarek and especially his alter ego, 'Kung Fu Kenny.' 'I had a really big chip on my shoulder,' he said. 'It was annoying.' Winning medals solved that. Maybe not always the favorite in a race, Bednarek always found a way to be in the mix. Like at the Tokyo Games in 2021, when he finished runner-up to De Grasse in the 200 meters. Or a year later at world championships when he took silver behind Lyles. At the Paris Games last summer, he won another silver in the 200 behind Tebogo. Last summer's medal remains special because his mom was watching in the stands. She was so happy for him, crying tears of joy, as they embraced after the race. Advertisement 'Just to be able to shine bright and have my mom witness that, it meant a lot," he said. One percent better These days, he's working out in Winter Garden, Florida, under coach Dennis Mitchell. His training group includes Sha'Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman. 'We just have this iron-sharpens-iron mentality," said Bednarek, who's sponsored by Nike. 'We're all making each other better.' His top task this spring is sharpening his starts out of blocks. 'If I can get that down, I feel like nobody is going to be able to beat me,' said Bednarek, whose top time in the 200 is 19.57 seconds. 'I'm always trying to add something that makes me 1% better.' Advertisement For his dedication to nutrition — he's eliminated gluten — and overall health, he credits Sharmila Nicollet, a professional golfer from India who he's been dating since 2020. 'I used to think, 'Oh, I can sleep whenever I want, play video games whenever I want, and I'll be fine,'' Bednarek recounted. 'She opened my eyes. It was like, 'OK, this is how you become an Olympian and a medalist. This is what you've got to do.'" Grand Slam debut Bednarek is among the runners of all distances — and hurdlers — taking part this weekend in Grand Slam Track, which was founded by Hall of Famer Michael Johnson. The new league includes stops in Kingston, Miami (May 2-4), Philadelphia (May 30-June 1) and Los Angeles (June 27-29). In Kingston, Bednarek will face Kerley & Co. in the 100 on Friday and again in the 200 on Saturday. Advertisement 'It's an incredible opportunity just to be able to represent this league,' Bednarek said. 'It's all about speed, personalities and telling great stories.' Like his. One question he constantly receives: What's the story behind his alter-ego 'Kung Fu Kenny?' Bednarek said it really stems from his love of anime. His favorite character is Naruto, a young ninja who's seeking recognition. 'He's a very persistent character and doesn't give up no matter what,' Bednarek explained. 'I kind of resonate with that. Whatever you want to achieve, it will not come to you — you have to work for it. You have to go get it.' ___ AP sports:
