A 57-year-old record held by Olympic great Raelene Boyle has fallen as Leah O'Brien adds to the sprint renaissance in Australian athletics.
The 17-year-old blew the under-18 100m field away at the Australian championships in her home city of Perth on Tuesday, clocking 11.14 seconds.
That broke the national women's under-18 mark of 11.20 that Boyle set in her Olympic debut at the 1968 Mexico Games - at the time, also a world junior record.
O'Brien joins fellow young gun Gout Gout, world indoor silver medallist Lachlan Kennedy and Australia's fastest woman Torrie Lewis in the country's new wave of speedsters.
“I honestly thought my race in the heats (11.46) was a really good time. I expected to maybe go 11.3 in the final but I’m so happy because I have been working really hard for that,” O’Brien said.
“It’s around the time that the open girls run, which is crazy to be running that still in high school.”
O'Brien will next race in the heats of the open 100m on Friday afternoon, potentially setting the scene for a head-to-head with Lewis in Saturday's final.
"I really look up to the top girls in Australia like Torrie Lewis and Bree Masters. I’m always watching their Instagram reels and looking at their photos. It just looks so great and inspirational,” O’Brien said.
“A lot of my family and friends are here, this is definitely the most support I have ever had. It’s so great to experience this moment with the people I love and share the happiness.
“I think I have really put my name out there and hopefully I can be in contention for teams in the future.”
O'Brien, who also won the under-18 200m title at the nationals, is ninth on the international all-time list for the under-18 100m and equal-fourth overall in Australia.
