Guardian Sport6/22/2026Sports2 min read

Eddie Nketia Eyes Faster Times at Commonwealth Games

Quick Look

Sprint sensation Eddie Nketia, set to debut for Australia at the Commonwealth Games after switching from New Zealand, is confident he can run even faster than his recent eye-catching times, aiming for sub-9.6 seconds.

AI-generated summary

Why It Matters

Eddie Nketia, a sprinter who recently switched allegiance from New Zealand to Australia, is a headline name in the Australian track and field team for the Commonwealth Games.

Font size

Australian sprint sensation Eddie Nketia is talking up his potential to run even faster at the Commonwealth Games after a succession of eye-catching times.

Nketia will make his Australian debut in Glasgow after switching late last year from New Zealand. He is one of the headline names in the 86-athlete track and field team named on Monday.

The 25-year-old’s performances in the last few months have featured a wind-assisted 9.74 seconds for the blue-riband 100m. The Commonwealth Games record is Usain Bolt’s 9.88 seconds, set at Glasgow in 2014. Bolt set the world record of 9.58 in 2009.

Asked at the team announcement if he can run faster, Nketia replied: “I would love to – I want to run as fast as I can. If we can get a 9.6, we get a 9.6, if we can get the world record, we get the world record. But it’s just going to start from execution.”

Glasgow teammate Lachie Kennedy holds the Australian record of 9.98.

The athletics selections complete the Australian team for Glasgow, with 258 competitors across 10 sports.

Discus star Matt Denny, milers Ollie Hoare and Jessica Hull, pole vaulters Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall and race walker Jemima Montag are other big names in the athletics team.

While Gout Gout opted out of the Games, Nketia and Kennedy will spearhead a powerful Australian contingent in the men’s sprint events.

“It’s beautiful ... the future’s bright and it’s going to be awesome, seeing what I can do for the green and gold,” Nketia said. “Seeing Gout Gout, Lachie Kennedy – it’s not just Glasgow, [but] the future. The relay, the depth, it’s just going to do wonders for the future of ... sprinting.”

Australian Athletics CEO Simon Hollingsworth said the selections reflected both performance excellence and consistency across the qualification period.

“This team has been selected off the back of outstanding performances across the season, including major championships and international meets,” Hollingsworth said. “It’s a group that has shown they can compete and win at the highest level, and we are confident they will represent Australia with distinction in Glasgow.”