Lachlan Lightning! Aussie Sprinter Shocks World with 9.98s Blitz, Floors Omanyala and Sprint Elite
Australian sprinter Lachlan Kennedy has taken the athletics world by storm in 2025, delivering a string of breakout performances that have cemented his place among the sport’s elite. The 24-year-old stunned fans at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, where he blazed to a personal best of 9.98 seconds to win the 100m, defeating Kenya’s Ferdinand Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man, and South Africa’s teenage talent Bayanda Walaza.
Kennedy’s rise is even more inspiring considering he was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2018, a challenge he has turned into motivation. His breakthrough year began with a silver medal at the 2025 World Indoor Championships, clocking 6.50 seconds in the 60m, just 0.01 behind Britain’s Jeremiah Azuh, with veteran sprinter Akani Simbine finishing third.
But Kennedy’s dominance hasn’t stopped there. He edged out Australia’s rising star Gout Gout in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet, setting another personal best of 20.26 seconds. With major scalps including Omanyala, Simbine, and Gout already to his name, Kennedy has quickly emerged as a serious contender on the global sprinting stage—turning heads, defying odds, and rewriting expectations with every race.
