Runners cross the finish line on a blue athletics running track at night.
Lachlan Kennedy beat Gout Gout to win the 200m final late last month.
Lachlan Kennedy has been handed the most severe handicap in the Stawell Gift, with rival Gout Gout starting just 75 centimetres ahead of him.
Kennedy has been given the backmark of 0.25m, with Gout (1m), Jacob Despard and Ryan Tarrant (both 1.75m) and Jack Hale (2m) also handed tough marks, with defending champion Jack Lacey running off 6m.
What’s next?
Kennedy and Gout will meet at this weekend’s national championships in Perth before running in the Gift on Easter Monday.
Lachlan Kennedy will be the backmarker at the upcoming Stawell Gift with Australia’s other sprint sensation Gout Gout (1m) also handed a tough mark for his Central Park debut over the Easter long weekend.
Kennedy narrowly got the better of schoolboy superstar Gout over 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne late last month.
The flying Queenslanders will clash again over 200m this weekend at the Australian championships in Perth before heading to the western Victorian town of Stawell for the 143rd edition of the storied 120m handicap event.
Kennedy has been given the backmark of 0.25m, with Gout (1m), Jacob Despard and Ryan Tarrant (both 1.75m) and Jack Hale (2m) also handed predictably tough marks by the handicapper.
Defending champion Jack Lacey has been wound in to 6m.
“We have great talent coming with Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy,” Lacey said.
“But there are many great contenders from the Victorian Athletic League this year — Dash Muir (7.75m) from Melbourne, John Evans (9.75m) from Adelaide, but my pick is Patrick Martin (8.5m).”
The winners of the men’s and women’s Gifts will both pocket $40,000, with defending women’s champ Chloe Mannix-Power to run from scratch along with Paris Olympics 100m semifinalist Bree Rizzo.
Evans said it was “pretty scary” to be squaring off against Kennedy and Gout as they continue their rise as Australia’s newest sprint stars.
“They both have been running extremely well, so it’s going to be intense trying to hold them off for as long as I can,” Evans said.
The heats of both Gifts are on Saturday, with the semifinals and finals on Easter Monday.
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