Lachlan Kennedy Pulls Out Of 200m Showdown With Gout Gout At National Championships

Newly crowned Australian 100m champion Lachlan Kennedy has pulled retired of nan 200m arena astatine nan nationalist championships connected Sunday morning, hours earlier he was owed to compete.

The move robs thousands of fans expected to be Sydney Olympic Park of a rematch betwixt nan Queenslander and Gout Gout, aft Kennedy won their 2nd duel astatine nan Maurie Plant Meet past month.

Kennedy told journalists aft winning nan 100m connected Saturday night that he was not judge whether he could backmost up for nan 200m.

“Wait and see. See really that assemblage pulls up. Listen to nan experts, physios and each that, but yeah, we’ll see,” he said.

Australian Athletics confirmed Kennedy would not compete anterior to title starting connected Sunday.

The rematch was group to beryllium one of nan highlights of these nationalist championships. Kennedy, speaking connected Saturday, acknowledged nan fans’ expectation.

“I don’t want to committedness thing and past not deliver, but I mean, we’ll spot really it goes, conscionable spot really nan assemblage pulls up.

“Either measurement it’ll beryllium bully [competition] tomorrow whether I’m location aliases not.”

Kennedy backed up for nan 200m astatine past year’s nationalist titles, but was disqualified earlier nan last successful which Gout secured his first nationalist title.

A accent fracture successful his backmost forced Kennedy to miss past year’s World Championships, and he has been vocal this twelvemonth astir nan request to springiness his assemblage clip to recover.

Gout is nan clear favourite for nan 200m connected nan last time of nan championships, but breezy conditions will make it difficult for him to go nan first Australian to break nan 20s barrier. His individual champion is 20.02sec.

The 800m finals, featuring Claudia Hollingsworth and Peter Bol, are besides connected Sunday. Kurtis Marschall is successful action successful nan men’s rod vault, and Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson will compete for nan women’s precocious jump.