Aussie sprint star Lachie Kennedy breaks 10-second barrier with 100m victory in ‘enormous’ 9.98

Sprint star Lachie Kennedy has made long-awaited history as just the second Australian to run under 10 seconds in a legal 100m race.

Kennedy, Gout Gout, Rohan Browning and more spent the summer chasing the magic number, hoping to join Patrick Johnson some 22 years after he ran his famous 9.93, and it was Kennedy who officially got there first overnight.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: ‘Enormous’ scenes as Aussie sprint star breaks 10-second barrier.

The 21-year-old ran 9.98 at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, Kenya — into a slight 0.7m/s headwind and after a delay for a false start.

Kennedy leapt to celebrate the time but just as impressive was nabbing the win over the likes of Paris Olympics 4x100m relay silver medallists Bayanda Walaza and Shaun Maswanganyi, and 2022 Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist Ferdinand Omanyala.

“As soon as I saw the 9.98 I was thrilled, the feeling was so surreal. I couldn’t believe it,” Kennedy said.

“I was there to win today and bring it home, and I am super stoked to get the win and the time.

“It’s so good. I can finally say I run 9! I haven’t wanted to rush it or put the pressure on myself, I take every race as it comes and I knew it would come eventually.

“I’ve got a good coach (Andrew Iselin), good training partners — shoutout to Calab Law — and a good S&C (strength and conditioning) and team around me. It’s been about trusting the process.”

Kennedy first shot to international prominence when he pocketed silver in the 60m at the World Indoors in China in March.

The main target for him and his friendly rival and fellow Queenslander Gout this year is the world championships in Tokyo in September.

But famous days along the way are cause for celebration.

“The crowd was nuts out there. I think there was early movement from someone in the first part of the race, but it actually did me good. It settled the nerves so I was pretty confident out there today,” Kennedy said.

“I didn’t think a nine was realistic until a couple of years ago. When I was still playing rugby but starting to train and realising I had some speed, I made it the goal.”

Kennedy was quickly toasted by Aussie teammates and former champions watching from around the world.

Sunrise host Matt Shirvington, who chased the same feat during his career and watched Kennedy up close over the summer, wrote: “Enormous.”

Channel 7’s Sally Pearson said: “Yes yes yes.”

John Steffensen said: “The truth.”

Kennedy had been threatening to break the 10-second barrier on home soil.

He ran 10.00 and 10.01 on successive days in Perth in April after a previous best of 10.03 set in March.

Gout ran two illegal 9.99 times in April, first with a 3.5m/s tailwind that eased to a 2.5m/s for the second run.

Browning, who also went under 10 seconds with an illegal tailwind, marked his comeback summer by winning his third national title, running a legal 10.01 in the final to hold off Kennedy by just five one-thousandths of a second.

Kennedy and Gout are both scheduled to race the 200m in the prestigious Ostrava Golden Spike Mett in the Czech Republic on June 24.

“I’m getting better with every race,” Kennedy said.

“It’s an advantage to have a long season at home.

“I’m not getting tired, so I’m looking forward to seeing what I can achieve later in the year as we get closer to the world championships.”

- with AAP