Lachlan Kennedy has cracked the 10-second barrier once again in the 100m, running 9.96sec to claim his first national title in Sydney on Saturday night.
Kennedy produced a blistering time of 9.96sec in the heats at the Australian Athletics championships on Friday, and equalled that time in the final after running 10.05 in the semi-final.
The 22-year-old wasn’t quite as fast out of the blocks but he got into top gear to easily claim victory in another sensational time.
“It is spectacular,” Bruce McAvaney said on Channel 7. “He’s a star. Lightning did strike twice.”
Matt Shirvington said “we have seen another evolution in his racing”, while Tamysn Manou said: “He is just a wonderful technician over the 100m race. I love how confident he is.”
Watch Lachlan Kennedy’s 100m final run in the video above
“It’s such a relief to finally say I’m national champion,” Kennedy said post-race.
Kennedy ran 9.96sec in the heats on Friday night, setting the fastest 100m by an Aussie sprinter on Australian soil.
Patrick Johnson’s Australian record of 9.93sec set in 2003 remains the fastest time ever run by an Australian.
Gout Gout did not contest the 100m at the Australian national titles, instead choosing to focus on the 200m.
After his win in the 100m, Kennedy said he would decide whether he would compete in the 200m on Sunday after discussing with his coach and physio.
In the women’s 100m final, Georgia Harris won her first national title in a time of 11.50sec.
Kennedy’s performance comes off the back of his victory over 200-metre rival Gout Gout at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne last month with a time of 20.38.
Going under 10 seconds for the 100m is another win for Kennedy over Gout — who has never achieved the feat himself.
After that display of dominance, McAvaney said: “We’ve seen it before and he’s done it again.
“He’s brilliant, he really is. He was magnificent tonight. What he did in that first 100m is absolutely breathtaking.
“Gout acknowledges the fact that at the moment, Lachie is the No. 1.”
