EUGENE, Oregon – The men’s 200 metres at the 50th Prefontaine Classic will feature a head-to-head matchup between the two highest-ranked athletes in the event this season. Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo of Botswana and American Kenneth Bednarek are confirmed for the May 25 race at Hayward Field.
Tebogo enters the meet as the current world No. 1. He won gold at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games in a personal best of 19.46 seconds, securing Botswana’s first Olympic title in track and field. The 20-year-old also collected medals in both sprints at the 2023 World Athletics Championships—silver in the 100m and bronze in the 200m.
Bednarek holds the No. 2 world ranking in the event and is the Olympic silver medallist from both Paris 2024 and Tokyo 2021. He also claimed silver at the 2022 World Championships. This season, Bednarek produced his five fastest career times, highlighted by a 19.59 at Hayward Field during last year’s U.S. Olympic Trials.
Tebogo opened his outdoor campaign with a win at the Doha Diamond League, running 20.10. Bednarek ended his 2024 season by winning the Diamond League Final in Brussels, finishing ahead of Tebogo to close the season series.
In their seven previous meetings over 200m, Tebogo has won five, with Bednarek’s most recent victory breaking a three-race winning streak for the Botswanan.
The Prefontaine Classic serves as the fifth stop on the 2025 Wanda Diamond League calendar. The men’s 200m is scheduled for Sunday, May 25.
The 50th edition of The Prefontaine Classic will be held on Saturday, July 5 at Hayward Field at the University of Oregon. Tickets start at just $35 and may be purchased at PreClassic.com (PreClassic.com/tickets). Lexus Legacy Experience VIP packages, which can be purchased in addition to an event ticket, are on sale now at PreClassic.com (PreClassic.com/vip).
Athlete fields are being updated on an ongoing basis. All athletes currently confirmed to compete at this year’s Pre Classic can be viewed at PreClassic.com (PreClassic.com/schedule).
Pre Classic media accreditation requests can be submitted at portal.diamondleague.com.
Media accommodations can be explored at www.eugenecascadescoast.org/lodging or preclassic.com/lodging.
Air travel options to Eugene can be found at www.flyeug.com.
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