Lachlan Kennedy has thrown down the gauntlet to Australia’s growing list of sprint stars, declaring himself the man to beat over 100 metres in this country.
The confident athlete has fired an early shot at newly minted Australian Eddie Nketia, the Kiwi-born, US-based sprinter who broke Patrick Johnson’s Australian all-conditions 100m record just four days ago.
“I hope he can put it all together and then come back to Aus sometime eventually, come run some races against me,” Kennedy told 7NEWS..
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Despite the competitive banter, the relationship between the two sprinters remains friendly.
“We talk all the time, like, yeah, he’s a funny dude, great bloke,” Kennedy added.
“I want him to move fast, he wants me to move fast. And we’re always talking about the first time we’re going to run against each other.”
Training at Griffith University’s new high-performance hub, Kennedy is embracing the pressure that comes with being one of Australia’s top sprint prospects.
“I mean, our first 100 is going to be sick, it’s going to be fun. I’m going to win, though. I’m going to win,” he smiled.
While teenage sensation Gout Gout remains focused on the World Under-20 Championships, Kennedy and Nketia will join forces for Australia in the 4x100m relay at the world relays in Zimbabwe in 10 days.
Kennedy’s ambition is crystal clear: “When it’s all said and done, I’ll have that record.”
When these two finally line up against each other, the talking will be over and the battle will be settled by the stopwatch.
