Athletics world blown away as Aussie Lachie Kennedy beats Olympic champ in 100m
Lachie Kennedy has finished fifth in a stacked 100m field on his Diamond League debut in the Chinese city of Xiamen, but managed to beat the Olympic 200m champion in the process. Kennedy has shot to international prominence in recent months alongside fellow Aussie young gun Gout Gout.
On Saturday night, Kennedy made his Diamond League debut in Xiamen and showed the world he's the real deal. He narrowly missed the podium as he ran a 10.18 - well down from his PB of 10.00 but commendable given the situation and the nerves he would have been feeling.
The 21-year-old held his own against a world-class field, with only seven-hundredths of a second separated the next six runners across the line behind winner Akani Simbine. The South African was the runaway winner in 9.99, ahead of Ferdinand Omanyala of Kenya (10.13), Jeremiah Azu of Great Britain (10.17), US star Christian Coleman (10.18) and Kennedy.
It was a remarkable feat that Kennedy produced the same time as former world champion and Olympic silver medallist Coleman. He also managed to beat Letsile Tebogo (10.20) - who won gold at the Paris Olympics last year in the 200m. The Botswana runner is more accomplished in the 200m, but it will still be a feather in Kennedy's cap to beat him over the shorter distance.
Athletics fans were blown away by his performance on Saturday night. One person wrote on social media: "Hardly anyone had heard of Lachie Kennedy five months ago and now he's a contender at top level." Another commented: "Kennedy oh so close to the podium. Great run after a busy start to 2025."
Kennedy came into the opening Diamond League meet of 2025 in career-best form, having claimed silver in the 60m at last month's world indoors in Nanjing. He ran a PB of 10.00-flat in the heats at the Australian championships earlier this month, before being pipped in the final by Rohan Browning. He was subsequently picked in the first wave of selections in Australia's squad for the upcoming world championships in Tokyo.
Yes he does pic.twitter.com/8171hK6AnB
— BorderAthleticsSC (@Borderathletics) April 26, 2025
Kennedy oh so close to the podiumIn Lachlan Kennedy's Diamond League💎 debut he finishes a very close 5th in 10.18 (+0.2) only 0.01 from thirdGreat run after a busy start to 2025🎥 Wanda Diamond League pic.twitter.com/OLrce50fOh
— athsSTATS (@athsstats) April 26, 2025
Not a bad run after a few big domestic meets. Unlucky not to place
— Ben (@orca_chaser) April 26, 2025
Great run Lachie Kennedy 10.18 to finish 5th in a quality international field like that 👏 #DiamondLeague
— Tony Tannous (@TonyTannousTRBA) April 26, 2025
Elsewhere on Saturday night, much-improved Aussie Liam Adcock was a close second behind local favourite Zhang Mingkun in the men's long jump. Adcock, who won bronze at the recent world indoors, looked the likely winner for much of the night as he produced an 8.15m best, only for Zhang to claim victory with a leap of 8.18m in the penultimate round.
Aussie stars Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers (both 1.94m) finished second and third respectively behind Paris Olympics gold medallist and world record-holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh in the women's high jump. The Ukrainian claimed the win with a first-attempt clearance at 1.97m, before having three unsuccessful cracks at 2.03m.
RELATED:
Women's champ makes mockery of Gout Gout complaints in epic run
Gout Gout makes huge Olympics call as fellow Aussie denied world record
Abbey Caldwell broke the Oceania record in the non-championship women's 1000m with a time of 2:32.94. The Australian was second behind legendary Kenyan Faith Kipyegon, while fellow Aussie Sarah Billings was third in 2:33.45.
Rose Davies broke her own Australian women's 5000m record, clocking 14 minutes 40.83 seconds in finishing ninth in a race won by Paris Olympics 5000m and 10,000m gold medallist Beatrice Chebet from Kenya in 14:27.12. Davies' previous national mark of 14:41.65 was set last year in Tokyo.
At it, Abbey! ⭐Second place behind world leader and distance great Faith Kipyegon, Abbey Caldwell claims back her 1000m Australian record running 2:32.94, as compatriot Sarah Billings rounds out the podium with a PB of 2:33.45.In the same race, Carley Thomas shows her form… pic.twitter.com/lotJFOf5Vo
— Australian Athletics (@AustralianAths) April 26, 2025
with AAP
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