Written by RT Johno
History was made at the Sydney Olympic Park Athletics Centre on Thursday night when Queensland sprinter Lachlan Kennedy became the first Australian to break the 10-second barrier on home soil, clocking a stunning 9.96 seconds in the opening heat of the men’s 100 metres at the Australian Athletics Championships.
The 22-year-old’s run sent shockwaves through the packed grandstands and cemented his status as the most exciting sprinting talent this country has produced in a generation. Conditions were near-perfect — a still, balmy Sydney evening with a legal tailwind of just +0.2 metres per second — and Kennedy made the most of every element.
It is only the second time Kennedy has cracked 10 seconds, having previously run 9.98 in Kenya in May 2025. But to do it at home, in a heat, in front of an Australian crowd, carries a weight of its own.
“Honestly, I didn’t really even expect it. I was just super relaxed, not cruisy — I was definitely pushing it — but it just felt easy,” Kennedy said after the race, grinning from ear to ear. “I think I got a bit more in the tank, but good to see I’m in good form.”
The significance of the moment was not lost on him. “Honoured to be the first to do it in Australia. I’m sure we’ll have way more in the future. No-one can ever take that away from you, so I’m certainly glad it was me.”
With that 9.96, Kennedy now sits second on the all-time Australian 100m list, behind only Patrick Johnson’s long-standing national record of 9.93, set back in May 2003. Johnson’s mark has stood for 23 years — and for the first time in a long while, it looks genuinely vulnerable. Kennedy made no secret of his intentions heading into the semi-finals and final.
“I don’t like to put a ceiling on what I can do, but I’ll hopefully try and break that Aussie record tomorrow,” he said.
The Queenslander was measured but clearly fired up. “I think I’ve got so much more to give — but we’re off to a cracking start. Of all the conditions, today is probably the best objectively, but at the end of the day, I’m here to win that national final. I’m here to get my first national championship, so saving the best for tomorrow.”
Kennedy heads into the semis and final as the overwhelming favourite, and the prospect of a sub-9.93 run has the Australian athletics community buzzing. He will also line up against Gout Gout in the 200 metres — a showdown that shapes as one of the most eagerly anticipated head-to-heads of the entire meet. Gout ran 10.00 flat back in February 2026, placing him fourth on the all-time Australian list.
Top 5 All-Time Australian Men’s 100m Times
- 9.93 — Patrick Johnson (May 5, 2003)
- 9.96 — Lachlan Kennedy (April 10, 2026)
- 9.98 — Lachlan Kennedy (May 31, 2025)
- 10.00 — Gout Gout (February 21, 2026)
- 10.01 — Rohan Browning (July 31, 2021)
The Australian Athletics Championships continue in Sydney on Friday, with the men’s 100m semis and final headlining what promises to be an extraordinary night of sprinting.