The Australian pair bring the curtain down on what is an enthralling night of action at a sold-out Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne
In one of the most anticipated races on Australian soil in a generation, Lachlan Kennedy beat Gout Gout in a thrilling 200m at a sold-out Maurie Plant Meet (March 29).
Although conditions weren’t perfect for sprinting – it was cool and there was a slight wind – the dynamic duo put on a show for the thousands of fans in attendance in Melbourne.
Kennedy, who secured a silver medal in the 60m at the recent World Indoor Championships in Nanjing, had a personal best of 21.19 going into the race and knew that he’d have to take a large chunk off it to have any chance of winning.
Unsurprisingly, Gout came into the race with most of the attention, given he took down Peter Norman’s senior national record of 20.06 – a mark that was set at the 1968 Mexico Olympics – with 20.04 back in December.
Lachlan Kennedy (Getty)
Just a few weeks ago, the 17-year-old also ran a wind-assisted 19.98 (3.4) to win the final at the Queensland Athletics Championships.
The 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet was a different test for Gout however, given this competition was at senior level.
Kennedy got the better start in the race and as he eased round the bend, a sizeable lead had already opened up between the 21-year-old and the rest of the field.
Gout Gout and Peter Norman’s family (Getty)
Gout, known for eating up the ground in the last 50m of races, had a large gap to make up but as he blitzed past Calab Law, Kennedy was suddenly in his sights.
The teenager turned on the afterburners but there just wasn’t enough track left and Kennedy took the win.
The pair clocked 20.26 and 20.30 respectively, with Kennedy going fifth on the Australian 200m all-time list, behind Gout, Norman Dean Capobianco and John Dinan.
The performance of the night arguably came from Cameron Myers, who took victory in the 1500m after front running the entire race.
The 18-year-old clocked 3:34.98 and beat an impressive field that included Adam Spencer (3:35.52), Jude Thomas (3:36.48), Oli Hoare (3:36.48), Sam Tanner (3:36.67), Peter Bol (3:37.29) and Sam Ruthe (3:40.12).
More to follow…
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