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Australian sprinter Lachlan Kennedy has broken the 10-second barrier in the men’s 100m.

The athlete produced a powerful finish to topple a strong African 100m field in a personal best 9.98s at the Kip Keino Classic on Saturday.

He is the second Australian to ever run under 10s in a legal 100m race, succeeding 22 years after Patrick Johnson who ran 9.93s in 2003.

Kennedy, 21, came from behind to beat Bayanda Wazala of South Africa and Kenya’s African 100m record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala into second and third respectively in Nairobi.

“As soon as I saw the 9.98, I was thrilled, the feeling was so surreal. I couldn’t believe it,” said an ecstatic Kennedy, who in January ran a world-leading 6.45s in the 60m in Canberra.

Retired Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt currently holds the 100m record, finishing in a record 9.58s at the 2009 World Championships in Berlin.

Kennedy is one half of an exciting duo of young Australian sprinters, led by the 17-year-old sensation Gout Gout.

Walaza, 19, who will hope to make his mark for South Africa in this summer’s World Championships in Tokyo, was 10.03s in Kenya and said he was picking up experience all the time.

Australia's Lachlan Kennedy (right) charges to the finish line ahead of South Africa's Bayanda Walaza (second right) and Kenya's Ferdinand Omanyala (second left), who came second and third respectively, during the men's 100m event at the ABSA Kip Keino Classic in Kenya. Photo / AFP

“I am still getting my way into the 100 metres. I am learning from these people, including Akani [Simbine] and Omanyala, who are my mentors,” he said.

Earlier, South Africa’s Zakithi Nene recorded the fastest time in the world over 400m with a sparkling personal best of 43.76s, beating Nigerian Chidi Okezi (44.89s) into second place.

The 27-year-old Nene, whose previous best was 44.22s at the South African championships in April, made up for the disappointment of finishing runner-up to American Jacory Patterson at the Rabat Diamond League last weekend.

Kenyan-born Jonah Koech, competing for the United States, upstaged his former compatriots to win the 800m in a personal best 1min 43.32s.

It was Koech’s second track victory in a week after his shock maiden Diamond League victory in the 1500m in Rabat.

Trinidadian two-time world javelin champion Andersen Peters’ hopes of winning his first Kip Keino title were shattered when he finished seventh with a disappointing 77.49m.

Brazilian Luiz Mauricio da Silva dominated the event with a new personal best of 86.34m to finish ahead of Germany’s former Olympic champion Thomas Rohler (80.79m).

Reigning Olympic hammer champion Ethan Katzberg continued his great form when the Canadian threw 82.73m to record his best performance of the year so far.

– additional reporting NZ Herald