Lachlan Kennedy stops the clock at 10 seconds at Australian Athletics Championships following Gout Gout’s heroics

A day after Gout Gout lit up Australian and world athletics, his arch rival Lachlan Kennedy has laid down a time in the 100 metres that was so close to also breaking the 10-second barrier.

Lachlan Kennedy sets down challenge to Gout Gout. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

HE had just become the second fastest man in Australian history but Lachlan Kennedy was still thinking what might have been.

While his arch rival Gout Gout broke the magical 10-second barrier for the 100m - albeit with an illegal wind - the previous evening, Kennedy stopped the clock on exactly 10.00sec in the first heat of the open men’s 100m national championships.

The difference being Kennedy’s time did go into the record books thanks to a legal wind reading of +0.9 metres per second.

Only Patrick Johnson has run faster in history, his 9.93sec from 2003 still the Australian record.

Kennedy revealed his coach had told him to try and break 10 seconds in the heat but he found himself wanting to save something special for Saturday night’s final.

Lachlan Kennedy lays down his time in the Men's 100m Heat. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

“It feels pretty good, hopefully I can be the quickest ever by the end of the week, but we’ll have to wait and see,” Kennedy said.

“Andrew (Iselin), my coach, was telling me to give it everything because it’s going to be the best conditions. But I’m nice. It’s kind of I really want to save all my juice for the final.

“I want the final to be intense, I definitely pushed out for the first part but I might have sub-consciously shut off, like I was staring at the clock with like 30 meters to go, and I was like, ‘Oh sh.t, I might actually get this’.

“But no, I think with the dip it could have been nine but I got two more races to do that.”

Lachlan Kennedy crosses the line after his 10 seconds flat. Picture: Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

The 21-year-old Queenslander said he was inspired by Gout’s illegal 9,99sec the previous evening.

“I was buzzing for him. I mean, he said he beat me to it but like I’m gonna try and do it legally,” Kennedy said. “It was insane, it’s so good.

“It;s a little unfortunate I guess (the 10.00), but I mean, it’s a world champs qualifier. I mean I know it’s just a matter of time sort of thing, 10..00 and 9,99, it’s all sort of similar.

“Obviously, nine is way better but I’ll do it in the semi or the final.”

The last time Kennedy was in Perth he ran the fastest time for the year at that stage, 10,03sec, which had rocketed him to third on the Australian all-time list, just behind Rohan Browning.

On Friday night Browning watched Kennedy edge in front of him on the all-time list - his PB was 10.01 from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - as he was in the following heat.

Browning and Kennedy at the recent Maurie Plant Meet. Picture: Graham Denholm/Getty Images

Browning, 27, has had a delayed start to his season but looked good clocking 10.07sec with the aid of an illegal +2.1 tail wind.

He joked he had to turn his phone off on Thursday night after Gout’s heroics in the U/20 100m final.

“I couldn’t get him off my feed,” he said. “Look I hope things don’t change too much but I think I’m also changing as an athlete.

“I think the past few years I have been dealing with severe injury and I feel like I’m confident and I’m on top of that now.

“ Now the depth coming through is really strong, to be honest, it’s even inspiring to me as someone who’s older than these guys.

“I think it’s good for the health of the sport. I hope I can delay the changing of the guard a little bit longer, but, you know, those guys are right there.

“And obviously Kennedy was the class guy today.”

Originally published as Lachlan Kennedy stops the clock at 10 seconds at Australian Athletics Championships following Gout Gout’s heroics