Little-known Aussie clocks flying 100m time

Edward Osei-Nketia has run the fastest-ever 100m by an Australian - but he can't claim the national record.

John Salvado
AAP
Edward Osei-Nketia, here in 2023, has now produced an incredible time running for USC in the US. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)
Edward Osei-Nketia, here in 2023, has now produced an incredible time running for USC in the US. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS) Credit: AAP

Kiwi-turned-Aussie Edward Osei-Nketia has clocked the fastest 100m ever run by an Australian with a flying wind-assisted time of 9.84 seconds at a US college meet.

The run eclipsed the 9.88 clocked by Patrick Johnson back in 1998, but neither of those times count for record purposes because the tailwinds exceeded the legal mark of 2m per second.

The 24-year-old Osei-Nketia switched allegiance from New Zealand to Australia last December after a fallout with Athletics NZ.

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He has spoken of his aim to break the national 100m and 200m records and push for relay medals at major championships.

Australia’s male sprinting stocks have never been higher, with Lachlan Kennedy twice breaking 10 seconds at the national championships earlier this month and Gout Gout smashing his own 200m national record last weekend.

“My goal with Australia is to break both the 100m and 200m record and also help the relay team to not just make the finals, (but) also to earn a medal on the big stage, and with the team I believe it’s possible,” he said in December after being cleared to run for Australia.

“Not just LA, the Commonwealth Games, world championships and the world relays, any chance we get.”

Osei-Nketia has an official 100m PB of 10.08.

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The wind-assisted time of 9.84 with the aid of a 2.8m tailwind came when he was representing the University of Southern California at the Mt Sac Relays meet.

Johnson still holds the official Australian 100m record of 9.93, set back in 2003.

Originally published on AAP

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