Lachlan Kennedy breaks 10-second barrier in 100m sprint stunner
Australian sprinter Lachlan Kennedy has created history, joining Patrick Johnson in the illustrious club to legally break the 10-second barrier for 100m.
The former rugby player turned sprinter has been in a race with emerging teen superstar Gout Gout to become the first Aussie in 22 years since Johnson's 9.93s to dip below the 10s mark.
Queenslander Kennedy has now taken that honour, clocking a stunning 9.98s to win the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya.
Making the run even more impressive, he was running into a -0.7 headwind.
'I was there to win today and bring it home, and I am super stoked to get the win and the time,' Kennedy said.
'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, 21, 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.
Despite a false start delay in the final, Kennedy cemented his status as one of the fastest men in the world with a scorching finish to break the barrier.
'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.
'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.
'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.'
Kennedy will continue his international competition next month when he heads to 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 Prefontaine Classic in USA on July 5.
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