Brisbane sprinter Lachlan Kennedy is poised to challenge Patrick Johnson’s long-standing Australian 100-metre record of 9.93 seconds, set in 2003, at the national athletics championships in Sydney. Johnson’s record has stood for over two decades, but Kennedy, alongside his coach, believes this weekend could mark a turning point. The event is taking place at Sydney Olympic Park, with Kennedy set to compete in the 100m heats around 7pm on Friday, under optimal conditions with forecasts predicting a pleasant 29-degree temperature.
Kennedy’s personal best stands at 9.98 seconds, achieved in Kenya last year, making him one of only two Australians to break the symbolic 10-second barrier under permissible wind conditions. His coach, Iselin, is highly optimistic, predicting that Kennedy could reach the 9.8s this weekend and possibly challenge the 200m benchmark of 20 seconds as well. Iselin emphasised that while it’s essential to avoid setting limits on potential, he would not be surprised if Kennedy broke 9.9 seconds during the competition.
Recent performances support Iselin’s confidence. During the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne, Kennedy clocked 10.03 seconds, despite struggling with less than ideal conditions and making an error at the start. Iselin noted that Kennedy’s performance could have been significantly faster had he executed a better start, suggesting he could potentially have broken the 10-second barrier already. This impressive outing didn’t deter him from competing later in the 200m, where he again emerged victorious against notable competition, including Olympic semi-finalist Rohan Browning.
In the upcoming championship, Kennedy is anticipated to meet his rival Gout Gout in the 200m final on Sunday. Gout, who won’t be contesting the 100m, is another rising star in Australian athletics. Iselin feels that interest in Kennedy is on the rise; he missed the world championships last year, fading from the limelight momentarily, but is now re-emerging as a significant talent in Australian sprinting, alongside Johnson.
Kennedy’s heats will begin on Friday evening, and assuming all goes well, he is expected to line up for the finals on Saturday night. As excitement builds, many are eager to see if this young sprinter can make history by breaking a record that has long eluded others.