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New Australian 100m record holder Torrie Lewis pledges to go even faster

At just 19 she’s already the fastest Aussie in history but the teen flash has a big goal as she plots an Olympic path.

Australian 100m record holder Torrie Lewis A a. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Australian 100m record holder Torrie Lewis A a. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)

Torrie Lewis has already gone faster than any woman in Australian athletics history.

But the 19-year-old sprint queen, who set the new Australian 100m record of 11.10 seconds last month, says she has “more to give” as she prepares to unleash another burst of speed in Melbourne this week on her path to the Paris Olympics.
Lewis will take to the track among a host of other world class athletes at the Maurie Plant meeting in Melbourne carrying her new mantle which she conceded did add some pressure.

But the teen star wants to break the record again and get under 11 seconds “someday” which means she plans to get even faster.

“It has sunk it, but I want to take the confidence from that and take it further,” she said in Melbourne on Tuesday.

“It’s nice to have the title but I want to build on it. I want to break it and to got sub 11 (seconds) someday.

“Doing this time [11.10] so early in the season, I take a lot of confidence from it, but feel like I have more to give.” 

Lewis will run at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne on Thursday night at Lakeside Stadium in Albert Park where she’ll face New Zealand’s fastest woman, Zoe Hobbs in the Women’s 100m.

Hobbs has already gone under that 11-second Mark Lewis is chasing, and having gone quick in Canberra, knows the key to making it happen again is simple enough.

“Being relaxed is the key for me, so trying to replicate that is going to be my hardest challenge,” she said.

“Physically I know I am in shape, but mentally I have to stay chill and relaxed.

“Looking at Zoe’s progression from 11.1 to sub-11 now, she made us realise that it is possible and it gives us a lot of confidence to run with her after seeing what she’s done. Her starts are amazing so it’s someone for me to chase and she can drag me through to a fast time.”

Australia’s fastest man, Rohan Browning, will also compete at the meet, but in a rare 200m race as part of is preparation for Paris.

Originally published as New Australian 100m record holder Torrie Lewis pledges to go even faster

Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/sport/olympics/new-australian-100m-record-holder-torrie-lewis-pledges-to-go-even-faster/news-story/f0a1710d8798a3c7791c4e9bce090ff3