Leah O’Brien: Australian record-breaker back to school after historic run at junior athletics championships

Less than 24 hours after she became the latest sensation in what shapes as a golden era of Australian sprinting, Perth teen Leah O’Brien packed her bags and headed to school. On Tuesday night, the 17-year-old broke a 57-year-old under-18 100m record that had belonged to Australian Olympic legend Raelene Boyle. At the Australian Junior Athletics Championships in Perth, O’Brien crossed the line in a lightning-fast 11.14 seconds to beat the 11.20 Boyle set at the record-laden Mexico City Olympics in 1968. That time sits alongside hurdles gold medallist Sally Pearson as the fourth-fastest 100m ever run by an Australian. “I honestly still can not believe that it’s happened,” she told the ABC. “I’m so happy and I’m just so grateful for the overwhelming support of everybody.” O’Brien revealed Boyle’s record wasn’t the one she was chasing. She had the State junior record in her sights instead. “Honestly, no. My goal was to break the State record, probably the State under-18 record, so I never really thought I could break the national under-18 record,” she said. “It’s such an honour because Raelene Boyle is such an iconic runner. “I knew I would have to have a good start if I wanted to win the race and get a good time. Definitely getting out of the blocks, having a good start really helped me execute my top-end speed. “The girls in my age group are so incredible ... they have really good speed, so I knew it would help me, they would push me to be faster. “Normally I’m not in the lead because my body type, I have longer strides, so I am normally a bit behind and I come through, but I was kind of up there from the start. “Then I was starting to pull away from the field and at the end, that’s when I knew I’d won it, and it was honestly such a blur.” In a radio interview on Wednesday morning, O’Brien spoke to Boyle for the first time. “It was great to finally speak to her,” she said. “She was just congratulating me and I was asking her about when she ran the race and she just had some advice for me to continue my career.” O’Brien’s stunner on Tuesday night elevates her alongside Queensland dasher Gout Gout and his rival Lachie Kennedy. The pair’s head-to-head 200m races have captivated the nation. She will race again in the same event at the national championships on Friday, where she will take on Australian record holder and Olympian Torrie Lewis. “My goal is just to make the final. I have already got five runs in my legs and all the girls, they are definitely more conditioned and have more experience, O’Brien said. “This is definitely my time to gain my experience against them.” WATCH THE AUSTRALIAN ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS FROM THURSDAY ON 7PLUS