'That's the standard now': Australia posts three record relay times without Australian superstar sprinters
The squad in green and gold tore up the track at the 2026 World Athletics Relays in Gaborone, Botswana, delivering a historic day one that saw three Australian records tumble and the men's 4x400m squad clock a top-10 performance in global history.
Bolstered by sub 10-second sensation Lachlan Kennedy, the men's 4x100m squad came out flying.
Kennedy, alongside Joshua Azzopardi, Christopher Ius and Aussie sprinting veteran Rohan Browning, blitzed the heat to stop the clock at 37.87 seconds.
READ MORE: Roosters survive late Broncos threat as Reynolds sidelined
READ MORE: Eels legend 'scared' for the first time after Bellamy diagnosis
READ MORE: Eels dealt cruel blow as young gun forced off in 'serious pain'
The result locked in a third-place finish for the heat, equalling a national record time and securing their spot in Monday's final and stamping their passport for 2027's World Championships in Beijing.
By the time Beijing rolls around, the squad could be joined by rising star Gout Gout and Eddie Nketia in the ranks.
"I think we'll go really well tomorrow. That's just the standard now that we want to be competing for medals each year, and I think that tomorrow we can all go a little bit faster," Kennedy said.
The record-equalling team. World Athletics
"We have a real red-hot chance, but we have to back it up. Rohan man, he's still got it."
While the sprinters set the tone, the men's 4x400m quartet delivered the shockwave of the day.
Luke van Ratingen, Reece Holder, Matthew Hunt and Aidan Murphy took down the hometown favourites Botswana in their qualification round with a time of 2:57.30.
The team capitalised on a late fumble by the home team in a baton change, charging forward to take victory.
The blistering pace didn't just break the national record, it blew the previous 2:59.70 mark by nearly two seconds, that had stood untouched since the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics.
Now the four sit in seventh on the all-time global list as the squad heads into Monday's final as a world title threat.
The four were unstoppable in their heat, booking their spot to the 2027 World Championships. AFP
"Everyone is feeling unreal. The team is strong and the time has always been there, it's just been about getting the race done," Holder said.
"We're still a young team and we have many years to come, so we'll just be lowering that time down.
"All I can say right now is, we're hot."
The mixed 4x400m team added the perfect finishing touch to day one as the quartet of Cooper Sherman, Ellie Beer, Thomas Reynolds and Mia Gross carved out a brand new Australian record of 3:12.20s.
