Australian Athletics Championships: Lachlan Kennedy in 100m heats ahead of 200m showdown with Gout Gout
Gout Gout sprint rival Lachlan Kennedy gets the chance to plant his flag when he begins his Australian Athletics Championship campaign tonight, a day after Gout won the under-20 100 metres national crown.
Kennedy, 21, races in the Australian Open 100m heats before likely racing in the finals tomorrow.
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Thursday night’s entree has whet the appetite for Perth and now attention shifts to Sunday’s main course: Gout’s run in the open 200m and a likely meeting with Kennedy.
Their epic rivalry is the championships’ main event.
Kennedy, 21, arrived in Perth in excellent form, having pipped Gout to the 200m crown at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne last month.
He also recorded a legal 10.04 time in the 100m on his last visit to Perth in March, and will start his campaign for the national crown on Friday when the heats get underway ahead of Saturday’s final.
Gout said he was relishing the chance to go head-to-head with Kennedy again when the 200 got underway on Sunday.
“Hopefully (I can go) faster, but I guess we’ll find out on Sunday,” Gout said.
“Definitely looking forward to it, we’ve got a great rivalry and just being out here in Perth it’s a great track, so I couldn’t be happier.
“(I’ve been) working on my start, working on running smoothly and working on executing my race plan.”
Gout’s 100m final was watched by a captive audience in a packed grandstand, and Sunday’s potential duel with Kennedy will likely draw a similarly heaving crowd.
It followed a sell-out for pair’s race at the Maurie Plant Meet, and amid several Australian track and field stars medalling at last year’s Olympics, Gout said he was thrilled to be part of the sport’s ascension.
“It’s definitely great. This is what athletics in Australia needs. This is what we wake up in the morning for, what we train for,” he said.
“I couldn’t ask for anything better and the great crowds and everyone getting around it is definitely great. So hopefully we get a lot more people.”
World Indoor 60m silver medallist Kennedy said on Wednesday he was looking forward to taking on Gout. He will show his rival what he has in the open-age 100m on Saturday before they face-off the next day.
“I’m confident I can win the double,” Kennedy said.
“I mean, Gout is obviously incredible. He’s the Australian record at 17 years old for a reason, it’s nuts. But that’s not going to stop me running with confidence now.”
Originally published on The West Australian
