Hull crashes near finish after Kennedy breaks 10-seconds in dramatic night

Sprint star Lachlan Kennedy has made history by becoming the first Australian to legally break the 10-second barrier on home soil after a scorching run in the 100-metre heats of the national titles in Sydney.

Kennedy sizzled to victory in the first heat and stopped the clock in a time of 9.96 seconds.

But the sizzling run wasn’t the end of the drama for the night, after Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull was denied her fourth straight 1500m crown after being tripped up and falling when leading in the home straight.

Young rival Claudia Hollingsworth appeared to be the cause of the fall after attempting to shift from the inside rail behind Hull. The young Victorian finished first, but the result was immediately protested and Hollingsworth was disqualified 30 minutes later. Hollingsworth appealed and a hearing will be held on Saturday. Victorian Sarah Billings was ruled the winner, with Hull limping last.

It is the first time Hull has ever been beaten in the 1500m at the Australian national titles.

Kennedy’s outstanding 100m was the second-fastest time ever run by an Australian and the second sub-10s time for Kennedy after a 9.98s seconds run in Kenya last year. It was just 0.03 seconds behind the Australian record of Patrick Johnson, who ran 9.93s in 2003.

But the time carried far more significance, given no Australian had ever legally broken the 10-second barrier on home soil prior to Kennedy’s run.

Only two men had done it before – the gold and silver medallists at the Sydney Olympics – Maurice Greene (9.88) and Ato Boldon (9.99).

Gout Gout, who isn’t racing in the 100m at the national titles, ran a heavily wind-assisted 9.96 last year, and Rohan Browning and Patrick Johnson also clocked sub-10s times with illegal tailwinds.

Gout came very close in February by running a 10.0 and Kennedy also clocked a 10-flat at the national titles in Perth last year.

The conditions in Sydney on Friday night were tailor-made for fast sprinting, however.

On a recently re-laid track at the Homebush venue, the warm, still weather saw Kennedy sizzle home in historic fashion.

Kennedy said he was “honoured to be the first” Australian to run a legal time under 10 seconds on home soil, and said he had Johnson’s record in his sights for the final on Saturday night.

“[I’m] Just happy. Honestly, I didn’t really even expect it. I was just super relaxed, it just felt easy, so I think I got a bit more in the tank,” Kennedy said.

“I think I’ve got so much more to give. This is still only my second hundred [this year]. I am honoured to be the first to do it. I’m sure we’ll have way more in the future. I’m certainly glad it was me.

“I don’t like to put a ceiling on what I can do, but I think I’ll definitely, hopefully, try and break that Aussie record tomorrow. But we’ll see.”

Kennedy said the run proved his sub-10 second time last year was no fluke.

“Doing it once is good, but doing it twice ... I want to make a bit of a pattern of it, you know? I want to make a routine. I want to make [the] standard,” he said.

Johnson’s record is under serious threat and the pace will also bode well for Kennedy in the third instalment of his 200m showdown with Gout on Sunday afternoon.

Hull’s attempt to win three titles in the 800m, 1500m and 5000m at the Australian Championships is already over, after she was dramatically felled at the end of a slow and tactical 1500m final.

Though more accustomed to setting a breakneck speed at the front, Hull stayed tucked away in a congested pack that jogged for two laps, with the champion unwilling to drag Hollingsworth along.

But after kicking with 400m to go and leading Hollingsworth into the home straight, Hull was clipped from behind when her young rival tried to move out from the rail to sprint home. The Tokyo silver medallist crashed to the ground and Hollingsworth crossed first in a glacial time of 4.17.

As the ever-smiling Hull embraced her mother Michelle and her coach and father Simon angrily called for a protest from the stands, the stunned crowd fell to a hush.

“When it is that slow, things happen. I can blame myself a bit because I let it go as slow as it did, it happens. But I felt like I just had my last gear. I was closing the rail because I knew someone was there, and I got tapped and just went down,” Hull said.

“I went to close the rail. I thought I was away. Whoever was coming from behind gave me a tap and when you are going that fast, the slightest bump will bring you down.”

Speaking before she was disqualified, Hollingsworth said she had mixed emotions and was concerned to check on Hull post-race.

“When I crossed the line, I usually have a big smile on my face. I was happy but definitely mixed feelings,” Hollingsworth said. “You don’t want to see a teammate like that fall down, and I have so much respect for her, my main concern when I crossed the line was to make sure she was okay.

“Not how I wanted to win, I feel like I am a pretty fair racer so it was disappointing to see that happen.”

There was no drama in the men’s 1500m, with rising superstar Cam Myers leading wire-to-wire in a dominant victory. Ollie Hoare turned back the clock with a strong second.

Myers finishing time of 3.29.85 only just missed Hoare’s Australian record of 3:29.41 – and his own PB of 3.29.80 – but it was the first time anyone had run under 3.30 on Australian soil.

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