Gout Gout finishes second to Lachlan Kennedy in epic Peter Norman 200m at Maurie Plant Meet

Lachlan Kennedy has edged out national record-holder Gout Gout to win the Peter Norman Memorial 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in front of a sold-out crowd in Melbourne.

Kennedy, fresh off his 60m silver at the world indoor championships last week, warmed up with a 100m win earlier in the night and stormed to a personal-best 20.26 to win over the longer distance in the final race of the program.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Sold-out crowd roars for Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy in epic finish.

“I’m absolutely gassed. I don’t run many twos (200m) so this is a bit different for me. I’m just happy to be here,” the 21-year-old Kennedy told Channel 7.

“Australian sprinting’s on one right now, the depth is crazy. We’ve got good runners everywhere you look. To be ahead of Gout, he’s a legend, he’ll do many great things along the way. It’s an absolute privilege to be part of this group.”

Gout, 17 and the youngest in the field by four years, put on the afterburners and nearly pipped Kennedy for a famous win before finishing second in 20.30.

“We don’t have one — we’ve got two stars in Australian sprinting,” Bruce McAvaney said in commentary after the epic finish.

Asked when he thought he had enough of a lead to beat Gout, Kennedy said: “I didn’t, I had no idea.”

“But I felt good coming off that turn. I knew he’d be coming so my goal was to just hold him off. I think five more metres, he definitely would’ve had me,” added Kennedy, who has Type 1 diabetes.

Tamsyn Manou noted Gout had not been challenged in the juniors to that extent — and the teenager agreed it was a strong learning experience for his very first race in senior competition.

“Getting these races in definitely is great, these races helps build my confidence and helps me think about what I need to do,” Gout told Matt Shirvington.

The showpiece event — Gout’s presence undoubtedly contributed to the high demand for tickets — was a step up for the teenager, who set a new marker for himself when he ran a wind-assisted 19.98 two weeks ago after his legal 20.04 in December broke Peter Norman’s long-standing Australian record.

“It’s definitely great but it also comes with the pressure and expectations from people all around the world,” Gout said.

“Comparisons to (Usain) Bolt, comparisons to pretty much everyone — it gets daunting but you know me, I just keep it simple and keep it running.”

Gout sat school exams earlier this week but is already looking ahead to the world championships later this year, having previously qualified for the 200m.

“Great environment, there’s so many people, stadium got sold out, being in this environment definitely helps to build my confidence for Tokyo,” he said.

Shirvington now is simply waiting and watching for the likes of Gout and Kennedy, who will continue their rivalry at the national championships in Perth next month, to reach their peak.

Both young guns are aiming to become the second Australian, after Patrick Johnson, to run under the 10-second barrier in the 100m.

“The athletes that we have in Australia right now should be celebrated,” said Shirvington, whose personal best in the world’s most famous race was 10.03.

“We saw that in that race. We know, too, that the better they are, the better they are every day the harder they’re training. They’re only pushing each other.

“Gout has pushed Lachie to be better, and Lachie is definitely pushing everyone else to be better.

“For Gout, this is not a failure in any way. Because he was always going to win tonight — he was either going to cross the finish line first, or take a little bit of that pressure valve off.

“That’s an important thing going to nationals and then qualifying for the world championships later in the year. You’ve got to lose to learn how to win.”

Maurie Plant Meet results

In the second-last race of the night, the John Landy 1500m, middle-distance superstar Cam Myers sat behind the pacer before stepping in front on the penultimate lap and holding on to win in 3:34.98.

“What a runner he is. He’s 18 years of age,” McAvaney said in commentary on Channel 7.

Adam Spencer (3:35.52) pushed Myers at the last turn but the young gun was always in charge.

“I knew it was going to be tough with the wind, I was trying to conserve as much energy for the last 900. I feel good,” Myers said.

“I’m trying to leave no stone unturned.”

Jude Thomas and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Olli Hoare could not be split for third, crossing the line in 3:36.478.

Peter Bol (3:37.29) fell short in his podium push to finish sixth between New Zealand’s Sam Tanner and teenage Kiwi star Sam Ruthe.

Australian 100m record-holder Torrie Lewis got off to a strong start in the women’s 200m but so, too, did eventual winner Kristie Edwards (23.18).

Edwards was clearly ahead after the turn and held strong, with Jessica Milat (23.36) closing well for second from Lakara Stallan (23.39), Mia Gross (23.43) and Lewis (23.60).

“I knew I just had to go out hard because so many of them are such strong finishers,” Edwards told Channel 7.

“I had to use my strength, which is my start, to advantage. I get a lot of practise (at the bend) running third in the relay — I like the bend, I like being out there.”

Australian rising star Ky Robinson won 3000m bronze at the world indoors and on Saturday night claimed a 5000m win in 13:13.17 after passing Seth O’Donnell (13.14.57) late.

“Mum got a little shout out while I was running, that was kind of funny,” Robinson told Channel 7.

Eleanor Patterson, just days removed from winning silver at the world indoor championships, won the women’s high jump as the only woman to clear 1.89m.

She pushed on and cleared 1.94m but was unable to make 1.97m.

Japan’s Tomohiro Shinno and Australian pair Roman Anastasios and Brandon Starc all cleared 2.20m but Shinno won on countback.

In the women’s 1500m, Claudia Hollingsworth stormed home to win in 4:05.97, a new meet record, while Sarah Billings, Linden Hall and Abbey Caldwell all finished within a second of the winner.

Paris Olympics 200m gold medallist Letsile Tebogo (45.26) eased up at the finish in the 400m to finish second to fellow Botswana star Bayapa Ndori (45.14).

Australian star Georgia Griffith (8:35.10) finished second to Ethiopia’s Fentaye Belayneh in the 3000m while marathon star Izzi Batt-Doyle was ninth (8:53.58) for her cameo.

Discus champion Matt Denny put down a world championships qualifier with a 68.17m throw.

Earlier, Bree Rizzo (11.35) claimed the women’s 100m before Kennedy won the men’s race.

Kennedy (10.17) was a comfortable victor ahead of Sebastian Sultana (10.29), Rohan Browning (10.30), Jacob Despard (10.34) and Jack Hale (10.45).

Lianna Davidson threw 61.06m on her second attempt to secure her first ever win over javelin superstar Mackenzie Little, who claimed second with 59.66m on her final throw.

Yumi Tanaka led a 1-2-3 for Japan in the women’s 100m hurdles with Aussie Emily Britton just one hundredth of a second shy of the podium while finishing ahead of rising teenager Delta Amidzovski and veteran Michelle Jenneke.