Lachlan Kennedy breaks 10-second barrier in 100m sprint stunner

A heartbreaking national championships looked set to haunt Lachlan Kennedy, who seemed destined to always be in the shadow of Gout Gout. But there were two things which gave Kennedy a chance at history.

When Lachlan Kennedy left the national championships in Perth in April he was still in the shadow.

He’d blown a perfect opportunity to make history and once again the focus of the nation was on the heroics of Gout Gout, the 17-year-old wunderkind who’d produced two electrifying performances.

Gout had broken the 10-second barrier twice but with illegal wind readings and then stunned the world with a 19.84sec to win the senior 200m title, albeit with another wind-assisted time.

Lachlan Kennedy has become the first Aussie in 22 years to break the 10-second barrier for 100m. Picture: AFP

Kennedy had come into the event as the form athlete of the summer but left Perth with nothing, having been beaten by a whisker in the 100m final by a rejuvenated Rohan Browning and then false-starting out of Gout’s 200m race.

But it was his 100m heat run that looked like it was going to haunt the 21-year-old.

Everything aligned for him in that moment, the wind was legal and Kennedy flew from the blocks. His coach had told him to push through the line despite it being a heat given they were desperate to go sub-10.

For some reason he didn’t and instead took the foot off the gas over the final few metres, not attacking the line with an aggressive dip. The result was a heartbreaking legal 10.00sec.

Given how close champion sprinters Matt Shirvington and Browning had come over the years but never cracked the magical barrier, there was some apprehension that Kennedy was heading for the same fate and destined to always be in the shadow of Gout.

But there were two things about Kennedy which gave him a chance: he was as tough as nails and he was willing to race anywhere at any time.

Lachlan Kennedy was “super stoked” with his history-making run. Picture: AFP

INSIDE STORY: No rest for Australian athletics’ ironman Lachlan Kennedy in pursuit of breaking that magical 10-second barrier

On Saturday night in Nairobi, Kenya, his time came with the Queenslander becoming the second Australian to go under 10 seconds, clocking 9.98sec (legal -0,7 mps wind) at the Kip Keino Classic.

It had been 22 years since Patrick Johnson ran 9.93sec in Mito, Japan to become Australia’s fastest ever man.

“As soon as I saw the 9.98 I was thrilled, the feeling was so surreal. I couldn’t believe it,” Kennedy said.

“I was there to win today and bring it home, and I am super stoked to get the win and the time.

“It’s so good. I can finally say I run 9! I haven’t wanted to rush it or put the pressure on myself, I take every race as it comes and I knew it would come eventually.”

Kennedy beat a world-class field including Olympic relay silver medallist Bayanda Walaza (10.03s), the South African star who won the 100-200 double at last year’s under 20 world championships ahead of Aussie Gout.

Hometown favourite and reigning Commonwealth champion Ferdinand Omanyala was third in 10.07sec.

“The crowd was nuts out there. I think there was early movement from someone in the first part of the race, but it actually did me good. It settled the nerves so I was pretty confident out there today,” Kennedy said.

Lachlan Kennedy beat a world class field including Olympic relay silver medallist Bayanda Walaza. Picture: AFP

Kennedy, who had a breakthrough performance at the world indoors championships in March when he won the 60m silver medal, has had a rapid rise after being discovered playing rugby at school in Brisbane.

At the end of Year 11 he was asked to run a relay for St Joseph’s College (Gregory Terrace) and turned out to be the quickest runner for the day.

He soon joined Andrew Iselin’s training squad which included world junior 200m medallist Caleb Law and until recently Australia’s fastest woman Torrie Lewis.

“I didn’t think a 9 was realistic until a couple of years ago. When I was still playing rugby but starting to train and realising I had some speed, I made it the goal,” Kennedy said.

“I’m getting better with every race. It’s an advantage to have a long season at home. I’m not getting tired, so I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve later in the year as we get closer to the world championships (in Tokyo in September).”

Kennedy will next run at the prestigious Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on June 24 where he’ll take on Gout in the 200m, before travelling to the USA for the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5.

Originally published as Lachlan Kennedy breaks 10-second barrier in 100m sprint stunner