If Kristie Edwards could fly under the radar forever, she probably would, but the unassuming sprinter’s results are making that increasingly difficult. In a sport quick to celebrate prodigies, Edwards is a reminder that patience prevails.
Apart from a need for speed, the Olympian defies most sprinting stereotypes. Slowly but surely creeping into the conversation of Australia’s fastest women, Edwards speaks reluctantly on her rising stock after a breakthrough Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.
“I feel like I normally fly under the radar which is how I like it. I have trained a lot and worked hard to get here, so it was nice to get my first ever Track Classic win, and I got a few,” Edwards says.
A few translates to three, with Edwards clinching wins over 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne and Adelaide Invitational, along with the 100m at the Sydney Track Classic in a career-best time of 11.26 (+1.0):
“I thought I would never run near my old PB of 11.28 again and then I was like oh wow, I just did.”
Adding a 200m personal best of 22.81 (+1.2) to take silver at the Australian Athletics Championships, the 25-year-old only strengthened her claim to represent Australia in an individual event at the 2025 World Athletics Championships this September.
“I have just been trying to give it my best shot, because I feel like maybe I have shied away from putting it all out there with individual events in the past,” Edwards says.
“I was never a superstar junior athlete. I was just scraping onto teams but I kept showing up and enjoying the sport, and here I am.”
Not a superstar but far from a slouch, Edwards marked her Australian debut as an 18-year-old at the World Under 20 Championships in 2018. Leaning on the 4x100m relay to bridge the gap to the Open ranks through a host of international experiences since then, the Olympian has made a trademark of torching the top bend for her country.
That won’t change in 2025, but Edwards is ready to expand her repertoire buoyed by her recent success:
“Patience is the key, especially in sprinting. I have had a lot of relay experience which is what has helped me stay in the sport and kept me going forwards, making those teams and being surrounded by the best girls in Australia,” Edwards says.
“Relays are stressful because they are a team event, and you always want to do well for the team. I have always wanted to have an individual event as well, just to have my own chance, but I get a lot of confidence from the relay.”
Moving home to Sydney after her Olympic debut in Paris, Edwards has returned to the tutelage of Andrew Murphy having spent three years on the Gold Coast under David Reid, with the coaching combination seeing her go from strength to strength.
“Changing coaches can sometimes take a while to adjust, but I felt like I just slipped back into the old training program even though it’s changed a lot. It’s been so helpful to train with people like Ella Connolly, Lakara Stallan and Celeste Mucci – having competition at training has been so beneficial,” Edwards says.
Casually describing her athletics mantra as “send it and see what happens”, Edwards’ flawless starts have been a feature of her season, set to hold her in good stead as she faces international rivals at her second FISU World University Games this July.
“My start is something I have worked on for many years, it definitely hasn’t come overnight. We worked on it a lot on the Gold Coast especially with David Reid,” Edwards says.
“In the 200m, I’m always going to be on the speed side unlike girls with that 400m strength. I know I have to use my acceleration to my advantage and that has been the race plan, to get out hard and put some pressure on everyone else to chase me down.
“I was really happy to make the final last time at World Unis but this time around I would like to try and medal. That would be a goal for me that I think that I can achieve with all the work that I have done this season.”
A member of both Australia’s 4x100m national record and Paris Olympic quartets, Edwards’ name is only growing louder on a rejuvenated Australian sprinting scene, but the humble operator will continue to share the spotlight:
“It’s crazy how much talent and depth we have! I came fourth at Nationals one year in 11.7, and now that wouldn’t even make the final. I felt like a bit of a grandma being one of the oldest people at World Relays, but sprinting in Australia is on the rise and it’s so good to see us keeping so much talent in the sport.”
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 21/5/2025
