Maurie Plant: Lachlan Kennedy wins 100m, Melbourne’s weather stops 10-second barrier push

Melbourne’s fluctuating conditions conspired against the push to break the 100m 10-second barrier, as Claudia Hollingsworth showed why she is one of Australia’s top prospects in year.

Melbourne’s fluctuating conditions conspired against Lachlan Kennedy’s push to break the magical 100m 10-second barrier.

Australia’s fastest man this year continued his dominance of the event but he was forced to do it into a headwind in the Maurie Plant Meet at Lakeside Stadium on Saturday night.

He was unlucky with the fluky winds given 10 minutes earlier the women’s 100m race was run with a perfect tailwind of +1.1 mps.

With a sold-out crowd of 10000 packing the stands, Kennedy produced his usual brilliant start and was never threatened, clocking an impressive 10.17sec.

Lachlan Kennedy won the men’s 100m final at the Maurie Pant Meet. Picture: Getty Images

Reigning national champion Sebastian Sultana got home strongly for second in 10.29sec with Paris Olympian Rohan Browning third in 10.30sec.

“I didn’t have the best start but considering the conditions, I’ll take that, build from it and go on to nationals,” Sultana said.

“(The crowd) is electric, it’s loud and crazy. Australian athletics is really popping off, everyone is running quick and everyone wants to put on a show.”

Browning, who ran a career best 10.01sec when making the semi-finals of the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, has had a delayed start to the season and realises he has ground to make up.

Lachlan Kennedy holds off Rohan Browning to win the 100m. Picture: Michael Klein

“Obviously these guys are running really strong at the moment and I have to improve between now and nationals (in April),” Browning said.

“I want to win the national championships, make the worlds team and then hopefully be a contender but I know I have to be a lot quicker.”

In the women’s 100m Paris Olympic semi-finalist Bree Rizzo was in a league of her own, comfortably pulling away over the final stages to win in 11.35sec.

There was a major upset in the women’s javelin with world championships medallist Mackenzie Little beaten by US-based college student Lianna Davidson.

Ellie Beer celebrates winning the 400m at the Maurie Plant Meet. Picture: Michael Klein

Davidson, 22, took the win with a throw of 61.06m with Little, who won the bronze medal at the Budapest world championships two years ago, recording a best throw of 59.66m.

In the women’s 400m Ellie Beer continued on her form from the world indoor championships with a stunning victory.

Beer, 22, was a member of the 4x400m relay team who won the bronze medal in China last weekend.

HOLLINGSWORTH CELEBRATES IN STYLE

SHE is Australia’s best 800m runner but Claudia Hollingsworth showed the 1500m is also very much in her wheelhouse.

The 19-year-old lifted infront of her home crowd, producing a stunning burst down the home straight going from fourth on the final bend to winning brilliantly in 4min05.97sec.

Hollingsworth reached the semi-finals in the 800m at last year’s Paris Olympics and then won a silver medal at the U/20 world championships two weeks later.

There are many good judges who believe her future is in the 1500m and while she remains focussed on the two-lap event, the teenager again showed why she is regarded as one of our best middle-distance prospects in years.

Claudia Hollingsworth won the 800m at the Maurie Pant Meet. Picture: Getty Images

Fellow Victorian Sarah Billings hung tough to finish second (4:06.37sec) with three-time Olympian Linden Hall (4:06.89sec) third and Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell fourth (4:06.91sec).

It was a similar story in the men’s 1500m with another teenager, Cameron Myers, making a statement.

The 18-year-old was disappointed to miss selection for last year’s Paris Olympics and has hit the ground running this season with some impressive indoor results overseas.

He brought that form to Albert Park, taking control of the race with 700m to go and never looked like getting beaten, winning in 3:34.98sec.

Cameron Myers won the John Landy Men’s 1500m Final. Picture: Getty Images

Melbourne’s Adam Spencer, who is currently US-based on the college circuit, ran second in 3:35.52sec. Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare faded for fourth (3:36.48sec) while 800m champion Peter Bol finished sixth (3:37.29sec).

Olympic 200m champion Letsile Tebogo had his colours lowered by a relay teammate in the men’s 400m event.

Tebogo came to Melbourne with the rest of Botswana’s silver medal winning 4x400m relay team from the Paris Olympics and it was Bayapa Ndori who claimed his scalp.

Ndori had a clear lead into the straight and managed to hang on, winning in 45.14sec with Tebogo second (45.26sec) and another teammate Leungo Scotch (45.60sec) third. Australia’s national champion Cooper Sherman was fourth in 45.74sec.

In the men’s 5000m Ky Robinson continued on his good form from the world indoor championships by winning in a personal best 13:13.17sec.

Ky Robinson crosses the line to win the 5000m. Picture: Getty Images

Robinson was a surprise bronze medallist over 3000m last week in China and he had to pull out all the stops to beat local hope Seth O’Donnell.

O’Donnell had led for most of the race and only conceded over the final 600m but he still produced his own personal best (13:14.57sec) to finish second.

In the men’s discus throw Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny won easily with a meet record 68.17m throw. He was a class above the field with Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye second with 64.60m.

Originally published as Maurie Plant: Lachlan Kennedy wins 100m, Melbourne’s weather stops 10-second barrier push