For those outside the track and field community, Eddie Nketia may not have been a familiar name as of 2025. Until recently, he was not even representing Australia, but that changed in December when he made the decision to switch his allegiance from New Zealand.
Nketia’s remarkable performance last month, which included a record-breaking wind-assisted time, catapulted him into Australia’s elite sprinting circle. He attributes his success to perfecting his initial steps. “After the first seven steps, I focused on keeping my head down. By the time I reached the 30 to 40 meter mark, I just let loose, staying relaxed and moving my arms as quickly as possible,” he shared with ABC Sport Daily. “When I turned around and saw a time of 9.84 seconds, I was taken aback. I never imagined I could run such a time.”
This time of 9.84 seconds is the fastest recorded for an Australian sprinter in the 100 meters, but due to a tailwind of 2.8 meters per second, it is only recognized in unofficial “all conditions” rankings. Nevertheless, his achievement came shortly after Lachlan Kennedy became the first Australian to clock under 10 seconds on home soil, and Gout Gout broke his own national 200m record. Both athletes reached out to Nketia, who still holds the New Zealand national record for 100m, to congratulate him on his impressive run.
The fastest 100m times recorded by Australians are as follows: Patrick Johnson (9.93 seconds, 2003), Lachlan Kennedy (9.96 seconds, 2026), Gout Gout (10.00 seconds, 2026), Rohan Browning (10.01 seconds, 2021), Matt Shirvington (10.03 seconds, 1998), Joshua Ross (10.08 seconds, 2007), Josh Azzopardi (10.09 seconds, 2025), Trae Williams (10.10 seconds, 2018), Sebastian Sultana (10.11 seconds, 2025), and Jack Hale (10.12 seconds, 2020).
While Nketia’s legal personal best of 10.08 seconds was achieved while representing New Zealand, he has since been focusing on his future. During the Australian Athletics Championships, while Kennedy and Gout were competing, Nketia was representing the University of Southern California (USC) at a collegiate track event. “USC has helped unlock my potential significantly,” he remarked. “Having a structured system with access to dietitians, trainers, and strength and conditioning coaches has been invaluable.”
The collegiate athletic environment in the U.S. serves as a rigorous training ground for athletes across various sports. Nketia has explored other sports, including American football and rugby, but he is now fully committed to track and field, with ambitious aspirations. “I believe I can improve my speed. This is only my second year back, and I feel I have not yet reached my peak. I expect to get even faster,” he stated.
While he refrained from setting a specific time goal, he expressed a desire to be among the top athletes in World Athletics, stating, “It would be incredible to be in the top 10 someday. Right now, I need to focus on my mechanics and work on becoming bigger, stronger, and faster.” He is optimistic about breaking the 9.7-second barrier.
Having found success at USC, Nketia is determined to continue competing for the remainder of the season, aiming for a legitimate sub-10-second time to secure a place at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow this July and August. If everything falls into place, he could potentially turn professional and join forces with fellow Australians like Kennedy and Gout as they train for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
“I am eagerly looking forward to racing against those guys. I can’t contain my excitement,” he said. “It’s going to be an extraordinary experience, and I believe we will achieve remarkable results, not just in the 100m but also in the 200m.”
With the current momentum in Australian athletics, Nketia remains ambitious about the future. “Since joining Athletics Australia, I have received tremendous support from everyone, including athletes, coaches, trainers, and dietitians. They have all played a significant role in my development,” he noted. “The investment being made in us is yielding results and will help cultivate a new generation of athletes. One day, we will be a dominant force like the U.S. and the U.K. on the Olympic and world championship stages.”
