Australian sprint sensation Torrie Lewis has shattered her own national 100m record and defeated five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah in Slovakia, setting the stage for a strong performance at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Record-breaking performance in Slovakia
Lewis clocked 11.04 seconds at the Tipos PTS meet in Banska Bystrica, shaving four hundredths of a second off her previous Australian record of 11.08 seconds, set in the heats of last year's world championships in Tokyo. The Jamaican great Thompson-Herah finished second in 11.06 seconds, with Austria's Christania Williams third.
Lewis also won the 200m on Tuesday in 22.66 seconds, completing the sprint double for the second consecutive year at the meet. Lavanya Williams of Jamaica was second in 23.13 seconds.
Perfect Commonwealth Games preparation
The 21-year-old Queenslander will contest the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in Glasgow, with the track and field program beginning on Monday. According to Athletics Australia, Lewis is expected to be a medal contender in all her events.
Lewis learned valuable lessons at last year's world championships, where she was disappointed to miss the 100m final despite setting the Australian record in the opening round. Thompson-Herah, the reigning Commonwealth 100m champion at 34, will not defend her title in Glasgow, and several other Jamaican sprint stars, including Oblique Seville, Kishane Thompson and sisters Tina and Tia Clayton, are also skipping the Games.
Other standout Australian performances
At the same meet, Claudia Hollingsworth won the women's 800m in 2 minutes and 0.34 seconds. The 21-year-old is expected to be a key member of Australia's middle-distance contingent in Glasgow. In the men's 800m, Luke Boyes finished third in 1:44.87, while Peyton Craig was sixth in 1:45.65.
