Kennedy beats Gout Gout – just – in the battle of Australia’s sprint kings

Once was an upset. Twice is a pattern.

For a second year in a row, Lachlan Kennedy has upstaged Gout Gout – beating the teenage superstar in the 200 metres at the biggest athletics meet in Australia.

First the rain fell on the track, and then Kennedy rained on Gout’s parade for a second successive year. Gout could not make up enough ground after missing the start against the much faster starter in Kennedy, but stormed home in the last 40 metres. Kennedy did just enough to hold on to win in 20.38s from Gout’s 20.43s.

Amid Gout mania that has overshadowed almost everything in Australian Athletics for 18 months, Kennedy has continually stepped from the shadows and said, ‘Look at me. It’s not all about Gout’.

And he did it again on Saturday night at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne – claiming the 100 and 200 metres double, and running one of the fastest times ever run by an Australian on home soil to clock 10.03 seconds in the 100.

Kennedy issued emphatic reminders last year, too. Twice. First when he beat Gout at the Maurie Plant over 200m when Gout was – and still is – the hottest thing in the sport.

Then he beat him in the race to be the next Australian to break 10 seconds for the 100m. In June Last year Kennedy ran 9.98s in Nairobi and became only the second Australian ever to break 10 seconds after Patrick Johnson’s 9.93s in 2003.

Saturday night’s was a statement performance.

In mild conditions, not sprint-friendly hot weather, and with no wind offering either help or hindrance, Kennedy held out two-time world championship semi-finalist Rohan Browning, who ran 10.25s in the 100 before a full crowd of 10,000 at the Albert Park track.

“I know I have things to work on, but conditions are not ideal. When you have such a quality field around you, even if conditions are not elite, it was good I was able to go out there and execute. It was good to go out there and get the confidence back,” said Kennedy.

“I thought I cooked it. Seeing 10.03s on the clock at this track – it’s good to know where I am at.

“The plan always was that I want to win both (the 100m and 200m). This helps me for the 200m. I want to win.”

The next generation who are making the still-young Browning feel like a veteran were given a reminder that he remains a contender. He pushed Kennedy all the way to the tape.

Earlier, Jackson Sharp delivered one of the most thrilling races of the night in the unusual distance of 3000m, mowing down Seth O’Donnell, who had opened up more than a 50-metre lead even in the final 200. The 25-year-old Sharp, from NSW by way of the US college system, won in 7 minutes 41.02 minutes. O’Donnell was .09s behind him.

More to come