Australian athletics enjoyed a historic day at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow as young sprinters Lachie Kennedy and Torrie Lewis delivered record-breaking performances in the men's and women's 100m.
Kennedy's silver and national record
Lachie Kennedy took silver in the men's 100m, finishing just behind Cameroon's Emmanuel Eseme. His time of 9.85 seconds with a legal tailwind of 1.3m/s broke Patrick Johnson's long-standing Australian record of 9.93 seconds, set in 2003. The medal ends a 64-year wait for an Australian man on the 100m podium, since Michael Cleary won bronze in 1962.
"That definitely wasn't a perfect race. I know I've got so much more in the tank," Kennedy told Channel Seven. "But I mean, for now I'm going to celebrate. For now I'm going to be happy." He added: "9.85 is crazy. Like, that's nuts. I don't plan on slowing down, you know what I mean? I feel it's going to be pretty hard to run that fast again but I'm happy now."
Lewis breaks 11-second barrier
Torrie Lewis became the first Australian woman to break 11 seconds, running 10.99 seconds (1m/s) to win bronze behind New Zealander Zoe Hobbs and England's Amy Hunt. Her medal is the first for an Australian woman in the event since Tania Van Heer in 1998.
"I was so nervous after my semi, being the fastest qualifier, I was just [thinking] I just need to do it again – and better, hopefully – so I'm just glad I could do it," Lewis said, calling it a "perfect race for me". She added: "In the next few years, I'll improve, but right now it's perfect for me."
Other successes and future prospects
Earlier in the day, Rose Davies won women's 10,000m gold, followed by Ky Robinson taking men's 10,000m gold – Australia's first in the distance event since 1958. In the women's high jump, Eleanor Patterson cleared 1.96m to edge Nicola Olyslagers for gold in an Australian one-two, while Lara Roberts took bronze in the hammer.
Both Kennedy and Lewis had run personal bests in the semi-finals (9.94 and 11.00 seconds respectively). At 22 and 21, they are seen as consistent contenders for future global finals. Eddie Nketia finished sixth in the men's 100m final, marking the first time in 44 years two Australians reached the final. Teenager Gout Gout, who has a 10.00-second personal best, watched from home as he recovers from a hamstring injury.
