“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.
After Gout broke 10 seconds at Nationals in Perth, and was beaten by Kennedy in the 200m, both runners, who enjoy a friendly rivalry, said the race was on among this generation of athletes to be the next to break 10 seconds. Now he has done it.
“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,” Kennedy said.
“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,” he said.
Lachlan Kennedy of Australia celebrates after winning the men’s 100m race at the Kip Keino Classic in Kenya. Credit: Anadolu via Getty Images
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“I’ve got a good coach (Andrew Iselin), good training partners – shout out to Calab Law – and a good S&C and team around me. It’s been about trusting the process.“
Kennedy will next run at the prestigious Ostrava Golden Spike meet in the Czech Republic on June 24 where he’ll take on Gout Gout in the 200m, before travelling to the USA for the 100m at the Prefontaine Classic on July 5.
Johnson’s record of 9.93 seconds was set in 2003 but in the 22 years since no Australian sprinters have been able to join him in the sub-10 seconds club. Or legally, at least.
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