Browning shines in Yokohama with Flying Finish

New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Rohan Browning shone at the Seiko golden grand prix meet in Yokohama, Japan, storming home to finish second behind America’s reigning world 100m champion, Fred Kerley.

Despite the race being pulled up by two false starts, Browning maintained his focus before unleashing a tremendous performance to cross the finish line in a time of 10.10 (+0.4). while Kerley scorched the clock with 9.91.

After rocketing out of the blocks, Kerley took the race by the scruff of the neck by the halfway mark, however, Browning’s fast finish edged out Japan’s Ryuichiro Sakai for the runner’s up prize.

Yokohama represented Kerley’s first showing over 100m at a major meet this year, although he notched up impressive victories in the 200m event in Melbourne last March and then at the Diamond League season opener in Doha.

Kerley, who claimed the 100m silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics, was not shy in using his post-race interview to reveal the prize that is motivating him to continue to clock blistering times.

“Paris is on my radar,” said Kerley. “The only thing I want out of the Olympic Games in Paris is the individual gold medal.

“I came up 0.04 short in Tokyo and I don’t plan on coming up short this time. Records came and go, but a gold medal lasts forever.”

After Browning ran the fastest 100m by an Australian on home soil at last month’s national championships with a sizzling 10.02, hopes are high he’ll join Sydney Olympian Patrick Johnson as the nation’s second member of the sub 10-second club.

The 25-year-old provided an insight into the mindset that is driving him to break the 10 second barrier when he spoke in the wake of last month’s effort in Brisbane.

“The one thing that Murph [coach Andrew Murphy] always prioritises is the very unglamorous goal of improving your average,” said Browning.

“That way you can go to a major championships and know that on an average day, with an average performance, you are still capable of going through all the way.”

Daniel Lane, NSWIS