Records smashed at 2026 Australian Athletics Championships
Breakthrough moments on the new Rekortan Gel ‘super’ track at Sydney Olympic Park.
The 2026 Australian Athletics Championships delivered world records, barrier-breaking performances and a wave of personal bests, as an exciting generation of emerging talent lit up the national stage.
The athletes were competing on the brand new Rekortan Gel track, the world’s only gel track, with nano technology that works on similar principles to modern “super shoes,” storing and returning energy with every step.
This track set the platform for four days of fast, responsive racing and headline making performances.
Gout Gout
Gout breaks world record
Amongst the many great performances, perhaps the standout was in the 200m men, where teen sensation Gout Gout became the first Australian to beat the 20-second barrier as he raced to a new Australian 200m record of 19.67 (+1.7). This time is an U20 world record (faster than Usain Bolt) and is the 16th fastest 200m in history.
Gout was closely followed by Aidan Murphy in a stunning 19.88-seconds, a time that makes him the second Australian to go under 20-seconds. In this historic race on this remarkable track, 7 runners achieved personal bests.
Kennedy becomes first Australian to break 10 seconds
Brisbane’s Lachlan Kennedy delivered a historic breakthrough in the 100m, becoming the first Australian to break the iconic 10-second barrier in legal wind conditions on home soil. He stopped the clock at 9.96 in the heats and then matched the time in the final. These performances are testament to his speed and Gel track’s ability to help athletes stay fresh across rounds.
Lachlan Kennedy
Cameron Myers
Myers becomes first to break 3:30 in Australia
Joining the history-making was Cameron Myers who became the first person to break the 3:30 barrier on Australian soil. He beat a star-studded Men’s 1500m field in to win in 3:29.85. Commonwealth champion Oliver Hoare was second and World Indoor bronze medallist Adam Spencer was third (both ran Season Bests).
The top 5 finishers all ran faster than they did at the 2025 championships.
Myers (feeling ‘Gel fresh’) then turned his attention to the 5000m which he won in a personal best 13:11.66. Nine of the 20 competitors ran PBs including Seth O’Donnell who took silver in 13:12.42.
Hincksman sets new world record in the able-bodied men’s 1500m
On the opening day, rising middle-distance star, Angus Hincksman set a new world record. The 20-year-old T38 athlete won bronze at the 2025 World Para Athletics Championships and produced the fastest time ever in his classification when clocking 3:46.71 in the able-bodied men’s 1500m heats.
The combined performances of Gout, Kennedy, Myers and Hinksman mark this as one of the greatest track events in Australian athletics history, underlining how the nano-technology in Rekortan Gel supports both explosive speed, sustained performance and athlete recovery.
“The athletes were competing on the brand new Rekortan Gel track, the world’s only gel track, with nano technology that works on similar principles to modern “super shoes,” storing and returning energy with every step.”
A Championship to Remember
There were outstanding events and performances throughout the championship. Mia Scerri opened her heptathlon with a career-best Day 1 before sealing the title with an exceptional series that included five personal bests.
The women’s 1500m was a slow, tactical race but with a dramatic end as a clash caused Jessica Hull to fall on the home straight. Claudia Hollingsworth, who crossed the line first, was initially disqualified but was later reinstated.
Mackenzie Little continued her dominance with a fifth consecutive javelin crown, while Reece Holder captured a first national title in the 400m. Jessica Hull surged back to reclaim the 5000m title, and Paralympian Annabelle Colman set a new T20 world record. In the jumps and middle distance, Nicola Olyslagers secured her seventh national high jump title, and Peter Bol demonstrated trademark control to claim his fifth 800m crown.
Mia Mcerri
A super track for athletes
The Rekortan Gel ‘super’ track has a unique force reduction + energy return sweet spot, which supports peak performance not just within a race, but across an entire competition. By delivering greater responsiveness underfoot, the track adds noticeable “ping” on race day while also reducing cumulative fatigue, helping athletes progress from heats to semifinals and finals feeling fresher and ready to perform at their best.
The 2026 Australian Athletics Championships showcased not only the strength of Australian athletics, but also how next generation track technology can help elevate the sport’s biggest moments.
About Rekortan Gel
Rekortan Gel is the world’s only gel-based track, with nano technology that works on similar principles to modern “super shoes,” storing and returning energy with every step. This is achieved through a gel layer containing trillions of liquid micro-bubbles, which act like a network of microscopic springs. These compress under force to provide athlete comfort, then rapidly return to shape, helping to ping the athlete forward at toe-off.