Australia’s sprinting scene has found a new star in Eddie Osei-Nketia, who has captured the spotlight with a remarkable achievement on the track. The young athlete clocked an astonishing 9.84 seconds in the 100 meters at the Mt SAC Relays in California, a time that has sent ripples through the athletics community despite its ineligibility for national record status.
Osei-Nketia’s performance was aided by a +2.8 m/s tailwind, surpassing the legal limit for record consideration. Nonetheless, his time outstrips any previous mark set by an Australian, overshadowing the official record of 9.93 seconds held by Patrick Johnson and even the all-conditions best of 9.88 seconds recorded back in 2003.
In a fiercely competitive race, Osei-Nketia claimed second place, finishing just behind American sprinter Jelani Watkins, who completed the sprint in 9.82 seconds. The race was a display of elite sprinting, with four athletes managing to break the elusive 10-second mark.
Even so, it surpasses every mark ever posted by an Australian, including the official record of 9.93 held by Patrick Johnson and his previous all-conditions best of 9.88 set in 2003.
Nketia finished second in the race behind American sprinter Jelani Watkins, who ran 9.82, with four athletes dipping under the 10-second barrier in a high-quality field.
Before his sprinting breakthrough, Eddie Osei-Nketia had ambitions of pursuing American football and moved to the United States to explore that pathway.
Eddie Osei-Nketia has recorded the fastest-ever 100 metre sprint time by any Australian in history
Osei-Nketia finished second in a US college track meet in a race where four runners cracked the 10 second barrier
The switch exposed him to elite college-level training environments, where his speed quickly became his standout weapon.
It was during this period that his focus shifted fully back to athletics, a move that has now delivered the fastest time ever run by an Australian in any conditions.
His performance has immediately elevated him into the conversation alongside emerging stars Gout Gout and Lachie Kennedy, who have dominated headlines in recent months.
‘Scary times in Aus sprinting,’ commentator Mitch Dyer wrote online following the race.
Another observer added: ‘What an era of sprinting.’
Nketia’s rise has been anything but conventional. He previously represented New Zealand and was one of the country’s leading sprinters, winning the Oceania 100m title in 2019 and breaking the national record with a time of 10.08 seconds.
That mark had been held for nearly three decades by his father, Augustine Nketia.
‘You set an example of how kiwis can fly,’ Nketia wrote after breaking the record.
Osei-Nketia’s run has put Aussie speedster Gout Gout on notice for upcoming Olympic campaigns
Osei-Nketia, Gout and Lachlan Kennedy are part of a golden generation of Australian sprinters
‘I knew it wasn’t going to be a easy road since everyone in New Zealand wanted to break your national record.
‘There was times I wanted to quit but deep down we all know you and I would’ve been disappointed that it wasn’t me who broke the record like you wanted me to.
‘All the hard work has paid off and I’m thankful that it was you that was holding it for 28 years. That gave me the perseverance and courage to one day break it and keep it in the Nketia family.’
After spending much of his youth in Australia, Nketia formally switched allegiance in late 2025 and is now competing in the United States collegiate system for the University of Southern California.
His move overseas has coincided with a sharp rise in performance, culminating in the breakthrough run in California.
His emergence adds to a growing surge in Australian sprinting.
Kennedy recently ran 9.96 to record the fastest time ever on Australian soil, while Gout has run 10.00 officially and 9.99 with assistance, and has already broken the 20-second barrier over 200m with a 19.67 performance.
Nketia has already been named in Australia’s 4x100m relay squad for the upcoming World Athletics Relays in Botswana, marking his first major international assignment since switching nations.
He will enter that competition as the fastest Australian ever in all conditions, even if the official record remains unchanged.
‘My goal with Australia is to break both the 100m and 200m record and also help the relay team to not just make the finals, (but) also to earn a medal on the big stage, and with the team I believe it’s possible,’ he said.
‘Not just LA, the Commonwealth Games, world championships and the world relays, any chance we get.’
