Jack Hale, 16, Clocks 10.44 In The 100m Sprint To Break Australian National Under-18 Record

HE’S Australia’s new fastest kid. Jack Hale, a 16 year old schoolboy from Tasmania, yesterday lit up the track at a meet in Hobart, setting a remarkable time of 10.44 seconds in the 100m sprint. Hale’s mark broke the national under-18 record set 23 years ago and was also a new Tasmanian men’s open record — that’s all ages. Previously known for his ability as a long jumper, Hale is now eyeing off a future in the pin-up event on the track. He credits his new-found speed to introducing box jumps into his training. “I’ve started doing them about three months ago and I’ve been doing them three times a week, weighted box jumps, I think they have really helped me,” Hale told the ABC. Already linked to Athletics Australia’s under-age training program for long jump, Hale has been hopeful of a place at the 2015 World Youth Championships but is now also tipped to qualify for the 100m. Junior high performance manager Sara Mulkearns said Hale’s record was a surprise. “We didn’t think he was that quick,” she told AAP. “With that performance, based on recent (international) results, he’d be looking at a fourth place at world juniors.” Originally published as Meet Jack Hale — our fastest kid