Australian sprinter Eddie Nketia has recorded an astonishing 100m time of 9.74 seconds at a collegiate competition in the United States, yet the mark will not be recognized for record purposes due to an excessively strong tailwind.
Outstanding Performance in Nebraska
Nketia, who recently switched his national allegiance from New Zealand to Australia, achieved the 100m and 200m double for the University of Southern California at the Big Ten Track and Field Championships held in Nebraska on Sunday.
This marks the second occasion within two months that he has surpassed Patrick Johnson's longstanding Australian 100m record of 9.93 seconds. However, on both instances, the tailwind exceeded the legal limit of two metres per second. Sunday's race recorded a tailwind of +5.6m/s.
Athlete's Reaction
“It’s crazy man, to run 9.74 even with the wind,” Nketia said. “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.”
“I think the future is bright. When I get out of college I’m looking forward to competing everywhere, including hopefully Europe this year.”
Additional Achievements
Nketia also triumphed in the 200m with a time of 20.03 seconds, where the tailwind was measured at a staggering 7.5m/s.
The 25-year-old could become a key member of a formidable Australian 4x100m relay team, alongside talents such as Gout Gout, Lachlan Kennedy, and Rohan Browning, at next year's world championships in Beijing and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Coach's Perspective
Last month, Brenton Emanuel, the American coach tasked with refining Nketia's raw power, predicted that the muscular sprinter could one day challenge the world's elite.
“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.”
