The world of track and field is as unpredictable as it gets. I mean, just look at Lachlan Kennedy. Last week, he was on a high with his sensational win over Gout Gout. But just one week later, that run has come to an end at the Australian Championships in Perth. That, too, in one heck of a dramatic fashion. After all, Kennedy had just clocked a personal best of 20.06s to edge out Gout at the Maurie Plant Meet, taking home the 200m win. But come the finals of the 100m at Perth, the narrative was shifted a full 180. But how?

In a race decided by fractions of a blink, Kennedy fell short by just 0.005 seconds, surrendering the title in a razor-thin loss to a seasoned Olympian. The twist couldn’t be more dramatic. After riding high off the momentum of defeating the country’s most talked-about young sprinter, Kennedy’s hopes of doubling down were shattered at the line. Just days ago, the Track and Field Gazette had X buzzing with, “Lachlan Kennedy 🇦🇺 beats Gout Gout 🇦🇺 to win the men’s 200m…” But now, the tides have turned.

Track & Field Gazette took to X, “Very close finish!! 🤏🏾 Rohan Browning 🇦🇺 beats Lachlan Kennedy to win the Australian men’s 100m title in 10.01s (1.5”), and the reactions haven’t stopped pouring in. The post barely does justice to what unfolded on the track: a veteran-versus-riser showdown that had fans holding their breath to the very last millisecond. Veteran Olympian Rohan Browning has pipped Lachlan Kennedy in an all-time 100m classic, snatching the title by a whisker, five one-thousandths of a second.

The finish was nothing short of cinematic. Both sprinters were clocked at 10.01 seconds, narrowly missing that elusive sub-10 milestone. For Browning, it marked his third national crown and a triumphant chapter in his comeback from injury. Kennedy, who had just clocked 10.00 seconds in the heats. A time that now stands as the second-fastest in Australian history was denied a breakthrough gold heartbreakingly.

He breezed through the semis, looking like he had more in the tank, but Browning’s explosive start and veteran composure were just enough to hold him off. The timing couldn’t sting more. Less than 24 hours after 17-year-old sensation Gout Gout clocked a blistering 9.99 in the U20s, Kennedy seemed poised to one-up the national field.

Instead, the man who stunned Gout in the Pete Norman Memorial 200m Final with a 20.26s personal best found himself on the wrong end of a photo finish. That 200m win had cemented Kennedy’s claim as Australia’s next sprint king, especially after Gout’s shock loss. But now, the balance has shifted again.

Gout’s historic streak ends as rising star Kennedy strikes back

During his last-place finish, Gout ended up settling behind Joe Biden, who was the United States president at that time in August 2024. In August 2024, he received silver at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Peru by running 20.60s for his personal best in the 200m race. Since that August 2024 event, his speed became unmatchable.

The GPS Track & Field Championships were dominated by Gout Gout in October as he achieved double wins in both the 200 meters and 400 meters with times of 20.86 and 47.57 seconds. During December, he became the record-breaking runner in Brisbane as he sprinted the 200m in 20.04 seconds to beat both Usain Bolt’s U16 benchmark and Peter Norman’s Oceanian record established in 1968.

Gout’s story entered 2025 with his legacy as the central theme instead of his track record. The Queensland Athletics Championships of March 2023 were dramatic when he stunned spectators with his mind-blowing 19.19s 200m performance. Since the strong +3.6 m/s tailwind invalidated the record status, declaring him the temporary first male world record holder of 19.19 seconds before the wind adjustment.

He raced to victory with 10.39 and then 10.38 seconds for the prelims and finals of the 100m at this same event. Dominance stretched beyond domination for him because he was challenging age-related boundaries of possibility. The Maurie Plant Meet introduced an unexpected loss to Gout Gout. Lachlan Kennedy surpassed the competition with a personal record time, putting himself in front, and he finished at 20.30 seconds in the 200m race.

Gout’s victory streak of eight months came to an end as he recorded his first loss. Thereby ending his debut season in the senior competition. Despite maintaining his goal to challenge Bolt’s status, the track setback showed that even top-level speed faces hurdles, and that truth cut both ways this weekend. Just as Gout tasted a rare defeat, Lachlan Kennedy, the man who had stunned him, faced his heartbreak.