Leah O'Brien Breaks Long-Standing Australian Under-18 100m Record
Seventeen-year-old sprinter sets a new national record at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, eclipsing a mark that stood for 57 years.
Seventeen-year-old Leah O'Brien has made history by breaking the national under-18 100m record previously held by Australian sprint icon Raelene Boyle since 1968. O'Brien achieved this milestone during the girls' final at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships, clocking a time of 11.14 seconds with a wind resistance of +1.7 meters per second.
This performance surpassed Boyle's long-standing record of 11.20 seconds, which she set at the Mexico City Olympic Games.
The championship took place at the WA Athletics Stadium in Floreat, Western Australia, where O'Brien was cheered on by friends, family, and supporters from her local community.
Following her victory, she celebrated with fellow West Australian Jessica Hanney, who finished just outside the podium positions.
O'Brien reflected on her accomplishment, expressing her surprise and happiness at the record-breaking time, which was significantly faster than her heat performance of 11.46 seconds.
She noted the significance of her time, recognizing its proximity to competitive levels typically seen in senior female athletes.
Her remarkable achievement positions O'Brien among the elite ranks of Australian sprinters, equaling the personal best of Olympic hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson in the 100m flat, marking her the fourth-fastest Australian woman in history.
On a global scale, O'Brien’s time of 11.14 seconds is noted as the ninth-fastest recorded by an under-18 athlete.
Looking ahead, O’Brien is set to compete again at the national championships, where she will go head-to-head with established Australian athlete Torrie Lewis, the current Australian record holder.
The podium for the U18 girls' 100m race was completed by Queenslanders Thewbelle Philp and Amaya Mearns, who secured second and third place, respectively.
In the boys' U18 category, Kelechi Ekwomadu from South Australia took first place with a time of 10.40 seconds, followed by Jonathan Kasiano and Oliver Facer, who finished in second and third with times of 10.54 and 10.58 seconds, respectively.
This performance surpassed Boyle's long-standing record of 11.20 seconds, which she set at the Mexico City Olympic Games.
The championship took place at the WA Athletics Stadium in Floreat, Western Australia, where O'Brien was cheered on by friends, family, and supporters from her local community.
Following her victory, she celebrated with fellow West Australian Jessica Hanney, who finished just outside the podium positions.
O'Brien reflected on her accomplishment, expressing her surprise and happiness at the record-breaking time, which was significantly faster than her heat performance of 11.46 seconds.
She noted the significance of her time, recognizing its proximity to competitive levels typically seen in senior female athletes.
Her remarkable achievement positions O'Brien among the elite ranks of Australian sprinters, equaling the personal best of Olympic hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson in the 100m flat, marking her the fourth-fastest Australian woman in history.
On a global scale, O'Brien’s time of 11.14 seconds is noted as the ninth-fastest recorded by an under-18 athlete.
Looking ahead, O’Brien is set to compete again at the national championships, where she will go head-to-head with established Australian athlete Torrie Lewis, the current Australian record holder.
The podium for the U18 girls' 100m race was completed by Queenslanders Thewbelle Philp and Amaya Mearns, who secured second and third place, respectively.
In the boys' U18 category, Kelechi Ekwomadu from South Australia took first place with a time of 10.40 seconds, followed by Jonathan Kasiano and Oliver Facer, who finished in second and third with times of 10.54 and 10.58 seconds, respectively.
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