Australian sprinter Eddie Nketia has run 100 metres in 9.74 seconds at a college meet in the United States, but the time will not count for record purposes due to an illegal tailwind. Competing for the University of Southern California at the Big Ten Track and Field Championships in Nebraska on Sunday, Nketia recorded a wind reading of +5.6 metres per second, well above the legal limit of two metres per second.
It was the second time in as many months that the 25-year-old has run faster than Patrick Johnson's longstanding Australian 100m record of 9.93 seconds, but on both occasions the wind was too strong. Nketia, who recently switched allegiance from New Zealand to Australia, also won the 200m in 20.03 seconds with a tailwind of 7.5m/s.
Speaking after the race, Nketia said: "It's crazy man, to run 9.74 even with the wind. It shows I'm getting better and can see the progress and the season isn't over yet. I'm really hoping this season on the back of that to get a legal PB and show I can compete. The all-conditions record is nice, but I really want that actual record."
He added: "I think the future is bright. When I get out of college I'm looking forward to competing everywhere, including hopefully Europe this year."
Nketia could form part of a formidable Australian 4x100m relay team featuring the likes of Gout Gout, Lachlan Kennedy and Rohan Browning at next year's world championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
His American coach, Brenton Emanuel, has predicted a long and successful career for the sprinter. "We've talked about this within our staff ... Eddie could be one of the best who've ever done it as a whole," Emanuel said. "I can't say he'll be the best in the world because obviously Usain Bolt was an anomaly, but I definitely think Eddie has a long career in track and field. We've made some changes to his diet and his physique and stuff like that, and I think it's paying off."
