Injury forces Australia's fastest man, sub-10-second runner Lachlan Kennedy, out of world championships
Australia's fastest man, young Queensland sprinter Lachlan Kennedy, has withdrawn from the Tokyo world athletics championships due to a stress fracture in his back.
The 21-year-old, who in May became only the second Australian in history to break the iconic 10-second barrier in the 100 metres, announced on Instagram on Tuesday night that he would not run at the world championships next month, to be held from September 13-21.
He was set to compete in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay.
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Wide World of Sports understands Kennedy will be replaced in the relay team by Rohan Browning, who at the national titles in Perth in April pipped Kennedy for gold by 0.05 of a second.
Kennedy had a sore back around the time of his 9.98-second run in Kenya in May, but it wasn't until he returned from overseas in July that scans confirmed the fracture.
Lachlan Kennedy after clocking 9.98 seconds in the 100m in Kenya in May. Getty
"It's with a heavy heart I have to announce that I will not be competing at this year's world championships in Tokyo due to a progressing injury," Kennedy wrote on Instagram.
"Grateful for the year and the support I've received. I wouldn't change a thing.
"I'll use this time to heal, grow and come back stronger than ever."
Kennedy's manager, Nic Bideau, explained to Wide World of Sports that Kennedy wasn't interested in competing underdone.
Not only is he a sub-10-second 100m runner, he won a silver medal in the 60m at the world indoor championships in China in March.
"It hasn't healed as quickly as he wanted it to," Bideau said.
"He just had to take the time to make the decision.
"He knew he could run. It's only a 10-second race; it's not like he has to run a marathon.
"But he's just not done the work to feel like he can run at his best, and he's not interested in competing half-baked. He's the sort of guy that wants to be there taking them on.
"It's time to step back, slow it down and get ready for the next phase in his career, which is a big build-up over three years with the Commonwealth Games, world champs and Olympics."
Browning has returned to the relay program after a hiatus of several years.
Rohan Browning after winning the 100m at the national championships in Perth in April. Getty
At the Sydney Track Classic in March, a team featuring Kennedy, Josh Azzopardi, Christopher Ius and Calab Law, who ran in that order, clocked 37.87 seconds to break the national 4x100m record.
The return of Browning, who reached the semi-finals of the 100m at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and whose personal best is 10.01, bodes well for the relay program, which has been a major focus of Australian Athletics (AA) in recent years.
"Out Kennedy, in Browning — he's a pretty good replacement," Bideau said.
AA will announce its full team for the world titles next Monday.
Some athletes, including 17-year-old sprint sensation Gout Gout, were announced in April.
Gout will make his senior Australian debut in Tokyo, contesting the 200m.
