Lachie Kennedy, a 22-year-old Australian sprinter, is gearing up for the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon, set for Sunday morning at 6:37am AEST. Kennedy has established himself as a leading figure in Australian track and field, having run six of the top 10 100m times by an Australian and finishing narrowly behind Rohan Browning in last year's national championship 100m final—the only time in two years he has been beaten at home.

Kennedy told ABC Sport, "I don't enjoy losing in any form or aspect, so when I'm against fast people, I know I need to bring my A game if I want to win." He added, "Almost as much as I don't like losing, I love the pressure as well."

Over the past 18 months, Kennedy has emerged as a bright talent internationally, winning a silver medal in the 60m at the indoor world championships last March and recording the second legal sub-10-second 100m race ever by an Australian.

Kennedy also noted the support from former Australian sprint stars, saying, "In my experience, the likes of Johnson and Matt Shirvington, Australia's sprint stars of the 90s and 00s, are loving seeing the new generation of runners coming for them." He mentioned meeting Patrick Johnson, who has been supportive and eager to see his longstanding record broken.

While fellow Australian sprinter Gout Gout will miss the Prefontaine Classic due to back soreness, the competition remains strong. Gout, who switched allegiance from New Zealand last year, holds the New Zealand 100m record of 10.08 and has improved his legal personal best to 10.06, ranking him Australia's sixth-fastest 100m runner behind Johnson, Kennedy, Gout, Browning, and Shirvington.

Kennedy's upcoming race at the Prefontaine Classic marks another step in his pursuit of excellence on the world stage.

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