Australian sprint star Lachie Kennedy has etched his name into athletics history, becoming just the second Australian to legally break the coveted 10-second barrier in the 100-meter dash. The 21-year-old achieved this remarkable feat at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya, clocking an impressive 9.98 seconds. This historic run makes Kennedy the first Australian to achieve a sub-10-second time in 22 years, following in the footsteps of national record holder Patrick Johnson, who ran 9.93 seconds in Mito, Japan, in 2003.

Kennedy's victory in Nairobi was particularly noteworthy as he triumphed despite a slight 0.7m/s headwind and a delay caused by a false start. He outpaced a strong field that included Paris Olympics 4x100m relay silver medallists Bayanda Walaza and Shaun Maswanganyi, as well as 2022 Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist Ferdinand Omanyala. "As soon as I saw the 9.98 I was thrilled, the feeling was so surreal. I couldn’t believe it," Kennedy exclaimed. "I was there to win today and bring it home, and I am super stoked to get the win and the time."

The Queenslander expressed immense satisfaction at finally achieving the milestone. "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," he said. Kennedy credited his success to his support system: "I’ve got a good coach (Andrew Iselin), good training partners — shoutout to Calab Law — and a good S&C (strength and conditioning) and team around me. It’s been about trusting the process." He also mentioned that the initial false start actually helped settle his nerves, contributing to his confident performance, and noted the enthusiastic crowd.

The journey to this historic moment has been one of steady progression for Kennedy. He admitted, "I didn’t think a nine 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." His potential had been evident, having run 10.00 seconds in the heats of the Australian championships and 10.01 seconds on successive days in Perth in April, after a previous personal best of 10.03 set in March. Earlier in the year, Kennedy also showcased his talent on the international stage by securing a silver medal in the 60m at the World Indoors in China in March.

The pursuit of the sub-10-second mark has been a captivating storyline in Australian athletics, with Kennedy locked in a friendly rivalry with fellow Queenslander and teenage sensation Gout Gout. While Gout had previously run two illegal 9.99-second times in April (with tailwinds of 3.5m/s and 2.5m/s), Kennedy is the first of the pair to achieve the feat legally. Another prominent Australian sprinter, Rohan Browning, who also went under 10 seconds with an illegal tailwind, marked his comeback summer by winning his third national title, running a legal 10.01 in the final to narrowly edge out Kennedy by just five one-thousandths of a second.

Kennedy’s achievement was quickly celebrated by prominent figures in Australian athletics. Sunrise host Matt Shirvington, himself a former top sprinter, described it as "Enormous." Olympic champion Sally Pearson tweeted, "Yes yes yes," while John Steffensen simply stated, "The truth."

Looking ahead, Kennedy is focused on further improvement and major competitions. "I’m getting better with every race," he told Australian Athletics. "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." The main target for both Kennedy and Gout is the World Championships in Tokyo in September. Before that, both athletes are scheduled to compete in the 200m at the prestigious Ostrava Golden Spike Mett in the Czech Republic on June 24.