Sprint sensation Lachlan Kennedy has won his first 100m national title after a dominant performance in Sydney on Saturday night.
Kennedy blitzed the field to win in a time of 9.96 to match his sizzling heat time on Friday that saw him become the first Australian to break the 10-second barrier legally on home soil.
He was a bit slow out of the blocks, but still in a class of his own to easily beat Josh Azzopardi (10.16) and Rohan Browning (10.19).
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“It is spectacular. He’s a star,” Bruce McAvaney said in commentary
Sprinting great and Sunrise host Matt Shirvington added: “We’ve just seen another evolution in his racing, he didn’t get out of blocks that well, but that flawless technique got him to the line.”
Speaking after the race, Kennedy said it was a relief after narrowly missing out last year.
“It’s such a relief to finally be able to say I’m a national champion,” he told Channel 7.
“I feel like I should have had it last year, but didn’t have my best race.
“Was able to come here and handle business and run a pretty good time while I’m at it.”
Kennedy and fellow sprint sensation Gout Gout are due to square off in the 200m event on Sunday, but the new national champion said it will depend how he pulls up.
“Hard to say … have to see what the coach and physio say. We’ll see how I feel and how I pull up,” he said.
“Tonight I’m going to celebrate and we’ll see how the body pulls up tomorrow.”
In the women’s 100m, Georgia Harris won her first national title in a thrilling finish.
Harris stopped the clock at 11.50 to pip Chloe Mannix-Power (11.52) and Ebony Lane (11.54) in a cracking race.
The 21-year-old was emotional after the race as she spoke about the injuries she has overcome.
“People around me know the struggle that I went through to get here,” she said through tears.
In other events, Ellie Beer stormed to her third consecutive 400m title and fourth overall with a dominant victory in a time of 52.13.
“It’s so good to be back out here in Sydney. This is one of my favourite tracks. Just went out there and had fun,” she said.
Reece Holder won the men’s 400m after holding off a fast-finishing Luke Van Ratingen to take his first national title.
Holder burst out of the blocks and held firm down the straight to win in a time of 45.11, just ahead of Van Ratingen (45.25).
Cara Feain-Ryan was in a class of her own as she blitzed the field in the 3000m steeple to win her third national title by close to 30 seconds.
An honest Feain-Ryan said she was a little “disappointed” by her time of 9:35.87.
Meanwhile, there was drama in the 800m heats when Peyton Craig missed out on a spot in the final after inexplicably slowing down and fist pumping leader Bob Abdrelrahim a few metres from the finish line.
The brain fade allowed a fast-finishing Degras Amekata to lunge forward and pip Craig into second place and a spot in the final.
Peter Bol comfortably won his heat to progress to Sunday’s final.
More to come …
