For a country long associated with cricket pitches and rugby grounds, Australia is suddenly surging through the sprinting scene like never before. Forget waiting for the next Olympics down under; the new generation of speed demons has already hit the gas. The whispers started when Gout Gout, the then-16-year-old sprint prodigy, began lighting up the track. With times that rivaled junior world records, he was everywhere, breaking personal bests, climbing the world junior rankings, and popping up on every “next Usain Bolt?” radar. But then things went quiet.

For a few weeks, Gout disappeared from headlines. No new times. No flashy wins. Just a pause, maybe strategic, maybe just life. And that’s when Lachie Kennedy stormed onto the scene. At 21 years old, Kennedy isn’t exactly new, but the way he’s running lately? It feels like a breakout all over again. When he clocked 9.98 seconds in the 100m, the track world stood up and paid attention. He didn’t just earn a win.

No, he earned the respect of legends who called him out. So, what exactly went down? Well, June 2nd was a day Australians won’t soon forget. When Lachie Kennedy crouched into the blocks at the Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi, few could predict just how fast he was about to fly. Firing off the line, he whistled like the wind, becoming just the second Australian ever to legally dip under the 10-second barrier in the 100 meters, clocking 9.98 seconds.

And while the time alone was history-making, what made it more impressive was who he beat: Olympic relay medalist Bayanda Walaza and Kenyan sprint king Ferdinand Omanyala. “He was in the race with Walaza and Omanyala,” said respected sprint coach Rodney Green on the Ready Set Go podcast. “It wasn’t like he ran against people we didn’t know… Walaza already ran sub-10, and Omanyala strung off a few 10 holes for the year. And he went out there and put that 9.98 down. He is real.”

Before Kennedy took center stage, Gout Gout was the Aussie teenager lighting up the sprint scene. Just 17 years old, Gout had been flirting with sub-10 territory all season. But while the buzz was building around Gout, it’s Kennedy, older, tested, and now world-ranked, who got there first. His triumph in Nairobi follows a silver medal in the 60m at the World Indoors in China earlier this year, proving his rise isn’t some out-of-nowhere fluke.

Even Justin Gatlin, the former world champion, took notice: “He’s gathering himself to be an elite athlete, a world athlete… He doesn’t want to be a one-hit wonder. He’s not comfortable with just being the fastest Australian. He wants to be in that World Championship final, representing his country.”

Now, with the World Championships in Tokyo this September just 3 months away, both Kennedy and Gout are chasing the same goal: to wear the green and gold on the biggest stage. But let’s be real, right now, it’s Lachie who’s turning the most heads. And you know when this all really started? When he beat Gout. What? Yes. You read that right.

Gout Gout and Kennedy racing side by side

The rivalry between Lachie Kennedy and Gout Gout kicked off spectacularly at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne (March 29, 2025). In front of 10,000 roaring fans, Kennedy edged out the teenage phenom in a razor-thin finish, clocking 20.26s to Gout’s 20.30s in the 200m, snatching a personal best and victory in the Peter Norman Memorial race. “I knew he was coming… five more metres and he would have had me,” Kennedy admitted post-race.

But their rematch at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth (April 2025) was clouded by drama: Kennedy false-started and was disqualified, handing Gout the win with a wind-assisted 19.84s, a time that, while not legal, still ranked him among Australia’s fastest ever U20 sprinters. Their third notable meeting came at the Stawell Gift (April 19–21), where both cruised through their heats but fell short in the semifinals due to handicap placement.

While they didn’t face off directly in the final, both delivered strong performances, Gout notably clocking 9.99s (wind-aided) twice in the U20 100m. Off the track, their friendship has been as striking as their speed, with Gout publicly celebrating Kennedy’s success despite the competitive tension.

The next chapter in this budding sprint rivalry is set for June 24 at the Ostrava Golden Spike Meet, where they’ll clash once again in the 200m, this time with the world watching. Whether it’s the teenager with limitless potential or the 21-year-old who just silenced a stadium in Nairobi, one thing’s clear: Australia is no longer knocking on the door of sprinting greatness. They’re sprinting right through it.