Lachlan Kennedy Claims Australian 100m Title With 9.96sec Run at Sydney Olympic Park

Lachlan Kennedy had been waiting for this moment for a full year, and when it finally arrived he delivered with the kind of performance that announces a sprinter has arrived.

The 22-year-old Queenslander blazed to victory in the men's 100 metres at the Australian National Championships in Sydney on Saturday night, stopping the clock at 9.96 seconds to claim his first national title by a comfortable 0.2-second margin over Josh Azzopardi. The time matched his personal best set in the heats the night before, a fact that made the victory all the sweeter.

Fireworks from the nearby Royal Easter Show provided an unexpected backdrop as the finalists braced on their blocks, briefly interrupting the hushed silence before the gun. Kennedy said the timing was simply part of the occasion. "I just block all the noise out," he said. "Fireworks is definitely something different, sort of sounds similar to the gun, but you have just got to make do."

The win was a measure of revenge after Kennedy lost to Rohan Browning at last year's championships by less than 0.1 second. This time around, Browning finished third, and Kennedy was not about to let the opportunity slip away again.

"I needed the win, I needed to be national champ. I needed to say I had it," Kennedy said. "It is a big relief to be able to finally do it in front of an awesome crowd and against great competitors."

Despite the commanding margin of victory, Kennedy was not entirely satisfied with his execution, particularly the opening steps. "I could definitely get my start better, my transition could definitely be a bit better," he admitted, before outlining his next ambition. "I definitely want the Aussie record [9.93 seconds]."

The result solidifies Kennedy's standing as one of Australia's fastest-ever sprinters and sets up an intriguing potential showdown in the 200 metres on Sunday against the rising Gout Gout.

In the women's 100 metres, Georgia Harris, just 21 years old, overcame recent injury troubles to claim a surprise national title, holding back tears after edging Chloe Mannix-Power. Saturday also saw pole vaulter Nina Kennedy secure her fifth national title and Cam Myers complete a distance double by winning the 5,000 metres after his 1,500m victory on Friday.