Australian sprinter Lachlan Kennedy stunned the home crowd at the Absa Kip Keino Classic in Nairobi on Saturday, blazing to a personal best of 9.98 seconds to win the men’s 100m and officially join the elite sub-10 club.
Competing at the Ulinzi Sports Complex, Kennedy silenced the partisan Kenyan crowd by outpacing South Africa’s Bayanda Walaza, who clocked 10.03, and local hero Ferdinand Omanyala, who had to settle for third in 10.07.
The race, briefly delayed by a false start stirred by an unsettled crowd, saw Kennedy launch off the blocks with precision and hold his form to the finish. It was a moment of redemption for the 60m indoor world silver medallist, who had previously finished fifth in Xiamen, China.
“It’s my dream debut here, but I’m not surprised by the victory. The crowd was electric,” said Kennedy. “Omanyala got me in China, but I got him back here. It’s an honour racing against him and Walaza.”
Omanyala, Africa’s fastest man and a national icon, struggled with his start and couldn’t recover in time to close the gap. Despite the loss, he remained upbeat.
“My starts are still solid, but I’m focusing on improving my race progression,” said Omanyala, who’s now eyeing the Rome Diamond League on June 6.
Walaza also hailed the Kenyan sprinter’s influence: “It’s a great honour racing against Omanyala. He’s inspired many of us.”
In the women’s hammer throw, Canada’s Camryn Rogers delivered a dominant performance, winning with a season-best 77.93m. Denmark’s Katrine Koch (74.21m) and USA’s Janee Kassanavoid (74.17m) followed in second and third, respectively.
The 2025 Kip Keino Classic once again delivered thrills and world-class performances, setting the tone for a charged athletics season.
