Lachlan Kennedy Edges Gout Gout in Thrilling 200m Showdown at Maurie Plant Meet
The 21-year-old sprinter set a personal best of 20.26 seconds, defeating the 17-year-old national record-holder in front of a sell-out crowd in Melbourne.
- Lachlan Kennedy defeated Gout Gout in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet with a personal best time of 20.26 seconds, narrowly holding off Gout, who finished in 20.30 seconds.
- The event marked Gout Gout's first senior-level defeat, with the young sprinter vowing to use the experience to improve ahead of the national championships in Perth.
- The Maurie Plant Meet attracted a sell-out crowd of 10,000 and 1.2 million TV viewers, highlighting a resurgence in Australian athletics' popularity.
- Kennedy also won the 100m earlier in the evening with a time of 10.17 seconds, completing a sprint double and solidifying his status as a rising star.
- Gout Gout, who broke the Australian 200m record last December, has drawn comparisons to Usain Bolt and is focused on refining his race starts to complement his strong finishing speed.
EssentiallySports 
The Sydney Morning Herald 
