17-year-old Leah O’Brien shattered a 57-year sprint record, achieving what even Sally Pearson never did in her junior career.
O’Brien’s electrifying run of 11.14 seconds in the under-18 girls’ 100m final at the Australian Junior Athletics Championships this week in Perth has stunned the athletics world. The time smashed the 57-year-old national U18 record of 11.20, set by Olympic legend Raelene Boyle at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics.
For decades, that benchmark stood as one of Australia’s most sacred sprinting records. Neither Pearson, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor, nor current record-holder Torrie Lewis could eclipse at that age. But O’Brien, accomplished the unthinkable on home soil.
“It honestly means so much because Raelene Boyle was such a phenomenal athlete,” O’Brien said.
“To break it after 57 years is so special to me, especially on a home track in Perth.”
She now ranks equal fourth on Australia’s all-time women’s 100m list, sharing the spot with Sally Pearson. Globally, she has also entered the top 10 fastest under-18 girls ever, an astonishing achievement for someone still in high school.
This record-breaking feat comes in the same week that fellow teenage sprint star Gout Gout made headlines by twice breaking the 10-second barrier in the men’s 100m with wind-assisted times.
Gout and O’Brien represent the vanguard of a new golden generation in Australian sprinting, alongside established young stars like Torrie Lewis and world indoor silver medalist Lachlan Kennedy.
After running a solid 11.46 in the heats, she believed a low 11.3 was within reach, not a high 11.1.
“I honestly didn’t expect to run it,” she admitted.
“I’ve been working really hard, and I’m just so happy.”
On Friday, O’Brien is stepping up to test her mettle in the women’s open 100m heats at the Australian Athletics Championships, potentially setting up a showdown with senior sprint queen Torrie Lewis in Saturday’s final.
“I don’t have too high hopes racing in opens. My body is a bit more fatigued than the other girls,” she said,
“But I think my goal is hopefully making the final, or if I don’t, to have a good run in the semis.”
O’Brien gushed about her admiration for Lewis and Bree Masters, following their races and training routines on social media.
The 100m wasn’t her only triumph at the national juniors. O’Brien also clinched gold in the under-18 200m.
Her stunning 11.14 sprint sparked online buzz almost instantly, with athletics account summing up the general disbelief.
“WHHAAAAA??? What is going on? Leah O’Brien has just broken probably one of the most untouchable records on the Australian record books… That’s equal #4 Australian woman of all-time, only 0.04 from the national senior record!”
With her family and friends cheering her on from the sidelines, O’Brien soaked in the joy of the moment.
“This is definitely the most support I’ve ever had,” she said.
“It’s so great to experience this with the people I love.”
