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No Australian has ever run faster.
Eddie Nketia has run a wind-assisted 9.74 seconds for the 100m at Big Ten Track and Field Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska. He won both the 100m and 200m at the NCAA event.
Sure, he had a gale force wind of +5.6 metres per second - which is nearly three times the permissible +2m/s wind to make it legal - but it was the second time in weeks he has smashed 10 seconds with a tailwind, and he broke his own record for the fastest Australian in all conditions. He ran 9.84 seconds with +2.8m/s wind last month.
The former Kiwi, who held a junior sprint record for the country and whose dad was a national sprint champion in New Zealand, grew up in Canberra. His switch to be able to compete for Australia was confirmed last year.
“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,” Nketia said after his run on Monday morning (AEST).
“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.”
Nketia then gusted to victory in the 200m in a time of 20.03 seconds, with a huge tailwind of +7.5m/s.
He will represent Australia for the first time at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July/August.
The emergence of Nketia comes at an exciting time for Australian sprinting, after Gout Gout won the 200m national title in an under-20 world record time of 19.67 seconds last month and Lachie Kennedy twice (legally) broke 10 seconds for the 100m at the nationals.
Gout, 18, has been training with Olympic champion Noah Lyles in Florida, a relationship forged through their mutual sponsor, adidas.
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