The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne hosted a rematch resemblant of a replay as Lachlan Kennedy triumphed over Gout Gout, while Olympic champion Nina Kennedy and the middle-distance duo of Cameron Myers and Claudia Hollingsworth rewrote the record books.
Pouring rain could not dampen the highly anticipated rematch between Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin) and Gout (QLD, Diane Sheppard) in the Peter Norman Memorial 200m, with another chapter in their budding rivalry written in the wet.
Kennedy capitalised on his explosive start to put a margin into the sprint prodigy on the bend, holding his form to win in 20.38 (-0.7) over the fast-fininishing Gout in 20.43 – clear of the rest of the field.
“Back to back, it doesn’t get much better than that, I just went out there and gave it my all,” Kennedy said.
“The rain came in when I started running so it was just a hard, gritty run.
“I don’t listen to the noise that much. I just go out there and try and beat whoever is in front of me.”
Humble in defeat, Gout set his eyes on the 2026 Australian Athletics Championships.
“He’s one of my good friends and I’ll be back for Nationals. Next time I’ll be better for sure,” Gout said.
Warming up for his Peter Norman Memorial 200m win, Kennedy blazed to a 10.03 (+0.3) showing, eclipsing the 10.04-second meet record of sprinting great Asafa Powell.
Olympic champion Nina Kennedy (WA, James Fitzpatrick) reigned supreme in her first international calibre competition since 2024, soaring over a 4.72m meet record to take down Hana Moll (USA, 4.56m) and Amanda Moll (USA, 4.36m).
“It was a three quarter run-up and it was actually a personal best so I’m really happy,” Kennedy said.
“We are just being conservative. I need to be peaking in Europe and for the Commonwealth Games so I need to be playing the safe game.”
World Under 20 record holder Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) continued his trailblazing career when racing to the fastest time ever on Australian soil and winning the John Landy 1500m, taking down the former mark of 3:31.25 held by world record holder Hicham El Guerrouj.
Stopping the clock in 3:30.42, the 19-year-old avoided trouble which saw three pre-race contenders hit the track including international visitor Robert Farken (GER), stretching away from World Indoor bronze medallist Adam Spencer (VIC, Tomasz Lewandowski) in the bell lap.
“The time was good. I didn’t have any expectations, I just wanted to run fast and it was more about executing a good run for me,” Myers said.
“It’s awesome, so electric and it’s such a good environment. I’m so pleased to be out here.”
Fellow middle-distance star Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram) took down freshly crowned World Indoor 1500m champion Georgia Hunter Bell (GBR) in a star-studded women’s race, holding off the Olympic bronze medallist in the home straight to win in a new meet record of 4:01.30.
“I’ve been just working on my mental state and just telling myself to clear my mind throughout the whole race and really settle in, relax and enjoy it,” Hollingsworth said.
“I mean when I say that the crowd was screaming, I don’t know if I could have done that without them.”
Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) saluted in the Men’s Discus Throw with a 67.51m heave in front of Denny’s Den, while reigning high jump world champion Nicola Olyslagers (NSW, Matt Horsnell) held off 18-year-old Izobelle Louison-Roe (NSW, Karen Roe) on countback, both clearing 1.95m.
Diamond League champion Jacory Patterson (USA) flexed his class over Australia’s best 400m men when clocking a new meet record of 44.41, switching into gear on the top bend to leave his rivals in his wake.
“Knocking the rust out with that race, so I’m pretty satisfied with it,” Patterson said.
“Reece [Holder] pushed me for the first 300m and he and I have been training for two weeks or so now, this was kind of similar to practice so it was good.”
Luke van Ratingen (NSW, Ben Liddy) edged closer to the sub-45 second barrier with a new personal best of 45.03, while Thomas Reynolds (VIC, Mathew Oakley) was also rewarded for a bold run with a 45.13 performance.
Earlier in the night, a valiant Seth O’Donnell (VIC, Andrew Russell) came within milliseconds of a breakaway victory in the Men’s 3000m, stealing a lead on the field before being reeled in by Jackson Sharp (NSW) in a new meet record of 7:41.02, nailing O’Donnell on the line in 7:41.11.
The Women’s 3000m was won by Rose Davies (NSW, Scott Westcott) in a tactical 8:45.13, kicking home to defeat Maudie Skyring (VIC, Craig Mottram) and Australian record holder Georgia Griffith (VIC, Nic Bideau), while Luke Boyes (NSW, Ben St Lawrence) impressed when winning the Men’s 800m in 1:45.26 over teenager Daniel Williams (NSW, Andrew Rowlings) in 1:46.16.
In the Para-athletics showcases, fan favourite Chad Perris (ACT, Matt Beckenham, T13) roared to victory over 100m to secure bragging rights over training partner Jaydon Page (ACT, Matt Beckenham, T47), clocking 11.05 (+1.0) to 11.06, while Mali Lovell (NSW, Katie Edwards, T36) took out the women’s race on the BASELINE system with a score of 93.95 and Joel Gomez (USA) took down Australia’s Angus Hincksman (SA, Philo Saunders, T38) in the Men’s 1500m Ambulant.
The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne was the first of 12 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meets for 2026, sitting just under the Diamond League – Oceania’s only meet of its status.
Full results are available HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 28/3/2026
