Athletics prospect Eddie Nketia declares he wants to run for New Zealand

Athletics New Zealand hopes family and national loyalty will be enough to stave off their trans-Tasman neighbour's advances after he claimed the Australian championship.

The 17-year-old is likely to make a decision on his allegiance by the end of this week and he left little doubt as to where his heart lies after winning the Australian crown.

​''I was born in New Zealand, my dad ran for New Zealand and it would be fair to say that I want to run for New Zealand,'' Nketia told Newshub.

The Auckland-born teenager lived in Canberra for eight years before shifting back to Wellington this year.

His father Gus Nketia has held the New Zealand record (10.11s) for 25 years, and the youngster's semi-final winning time of 10.19 made him the second-quickest runner for his age in the world at present.

"Right now, he is a New Zealand citizen. Right now, we don't know what's going to happen. We're going to go for, of course, who is going to help him develop and achieve what he wants to achieve," Gus Nketia said.

"It should be as soon as possible, because everybody wants to know. It would be good for him also, to know what's going on and what he's doing. At the end of the day it comes down to him. We're his family and we will support him with whoever he wants to represent.

"Of course if he runs for New Zealand, he will probably break my New Zealand record which would be fantastic, if a dad has got a record and his son beats it."

Athletics Australia officials sought a meeting with the youngster's family to propose Nketia competes in green and gold, and ANZ high performance boss Scott Goodwin expects Australian officials to make an offer the Kiwis will struggle to match - although he can switch nationalities once he turns 20.

Australia's greater depth means they will field a team at next month's relay world championships in Yokohama and will potentially contend for a medal at world championship and Olympic Games level.

''I don't know what the financial details will be from Australia but I've spoken to the family and they see some value in the relay option as a backup,'' Goodman said.

''We don't want to put any pressure on him. We appreciate it's a family decision and that he's got a lot to consider.''

Goodman predicts the 10-second barrier could be broken when Nketia peaks as a sprinter in his mid-20s.

''His potential is enormous. I've learned not to go too far with predicting these things but given how new he is to athletics and his progress already, he could be a superstar," Goodwin said.

With AAP