The wait is over and the biggest names in global athletics have touched down in Melbourne for Saturday’s Maurie Plant Meet at Lakeside Stadium, as an all-star cast headed by Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and teenage sensation Gout Gout get ready to rumble on the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series’ biggest stage.
Botswana’s Tebogo will be one of the biggest names to grace Melbourne’s Lakeside Stadium, with the smooth-moving gold medallist ready to step up to the challenge of the 400m.
At just 21-years-old, the fifth fastest man in global history over 200m at 19.46-seconds will face off against Olympic 4x400m silver-medal winning teammates Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch – while Australia’s hopes rest on the shoulders of Cooper Sherman (VIC, Neville Down) and teenager Terrell Thorne (QLD, Christopher Dale).
“It’s been a long time coming travelling to Australia. We started talking about it in 2022 in Cali (at the World Under 20 Championships) about how me coming to Australia was going to happen, and I’m happy to be here,” Tebogo said.
“I’m going to go for another personal best in the 400m. I know that once I’ve done that, that will be enough for the season in time for the World Relay Championships and World Championships.”
While the Olympic champion sticks to the 400m, Australia’s own sprint sensation Gout Gout (QLD, Diane Sheppard) is ready to steal the show in the Peter Norman Memorial 200m – a race honouring the Olympic icon whose 56-year national record Gout broke with his 20.04-second run at just 16-years-old.
Already one of the fastest teenagers in history and a World Under 20 silver medallist, the 17-year-old will harness the energy of the biggest occasion of his career to date – fresh off becoming the first Australian in history to break 20-seconds in the event when exploding to a wind-assisted 19.98-second performance at the Queensland Athletics Championships.
“His style of running, it’s top-notch,” said the Olympic champion of the Australian teenager.
“I believe he’s going to be the next big thing for the continent.”
Victorian Government Minister for Tourism, Sport and Major Events Steve Dimopoulos said it’s exciting to welcome another edition of the world class Maurie Plant Meet to Australia’s sporting capital.
“We’re proud to support a star-studded night of track and field action at Lakeside Stadium in the heart of Albert Park.”
“The Maurie Plant Meet will attract visitors from across the county and the world to Melbourne, helping to showcase our incredible city and athletes, while supporting local jobs and businesses.”
Olympic semi-finalist and Australia’s fastest woman Torrie Lewis (QLD, Laurent Meuwly) is poised for a showdown with South Africa’s Miranda Coetzee in the Women’s 200m, with personal bests of 22.65 and 22.74 respectively, alongside sub-23 second runners Mia Gross (VIC, John Nicolosi), Lakara Stallan (NSW, Andrew Murphy) and Jessica Milat (VIC, Cathy Woodruff).
Olympic bronze medallist Matthew Denny (QLD, Dale Stevenson) opened his season at the Adelaide Invitational in February with a world-leading throw of 67.82m and is yet to be overtaken. Stepping into the cage at Lakeside Stadium, the Australian will be full of confidence but will be challenged by Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye and two-time Maurie Plant meet winner Connor Bell (NZL).
Fresh off last week’s World Athletics Indoor Championships where she won silver with a 1.97m jump, all eyes will be on 2022 world champion Eleanor Patterson (VIC, Fuzz Caan) who competes in her home state for the first time in seven years. The high jump spotlight will be shared as Olympic trio Brandon Starc (NSW, Alex Stewart), Joel Baden (VIC, Sandro Bisetto) and Yual Reath (VIC, Mike Barber) go toe-to-toe in the men’s contest alongside the rising Roman Anastasios (VIC, Sandro Bisetto).
Few Australian athletes have had a hotter start to 2025 than middle-distance star Cameron Myers (ACT, Dick Telford) who carved his way to a series of world Under 20 records indoors, now looking to put a star-studded field in the John Landy Memorial 1500m to the sword.
The 18-year-old will clash with Olympians Oliver Hoare (NSW, Dathan Ritzenhein) and Peter Bol (VIC, Justin Rinaldi), plus reigning Australian champion Adam Spencer (VIC, Mick Byrne), while fellow World Under 20 silver medallist Claudia Hollingsworth (VIC, Craig Mottram) is chasing a big win in the Women’s 1500m.
There she will meet Commonwealth bronze medallist Abbey Caldwell (VIC, Gavin Burren), Olympic finalist Linden Hall (VIC, Ned Brophy-Williams), Irish Olympian Sophie O’Sullivan and Ethiopia’s Elsabet Amare – a recipe for one of the races of the night.
From back-to-back world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Kelsey-Lee Barber (QLD, Mike Barber) to World Championships bronze medallist Mackenzie Little (NSW, Angus McEntyre), a world-class field has been assembled for the Women’s Javelin.
Little will take a short hiatus from doctor’s duties at Royal North Shore hospital to continue her winning streak this season, while Australia’s next generation of talent including Lianna Davidson (NSW, Angus McEntyre) and Mia Gordon (QLD, Ben Thomson) come together to take on international rivals Tori Moorby (NZL) and Japanese duo Sae Takemoto and Momone Ueda.
Fans will have good reason to rush through the gates before 6pm AEDT as World Athletics Indoor Championships silver medallist and 10.03-second man Lachlan Kennedy (QLD, Andrew Iselin) locks horns with the 10.01-second credentials of Rohan Browning (NSW, Andrew Murphy), while reigning Australian champion Sebastian Sultana (NSW, Greg Smith) is also in scorching form.
Adding to the sprinting showcase will the very best of Australia’s Paralympic talent, with world record holder James Turner (ACT, T36, Iryna Dvoskina) taking on Paralympic medallist Chad Perris (ACT, T13, Matt Beckenham) and sub-11 sprinter Jaydon Page (ACT, T47). On the women’s side, Paralympic bronze medallist Mali Lovell (NSW, T36, Katie Edwards & Melinda Gainsford-Taylor) is ready to push the pedal to the floor in a race against New Zealand’s Paralympic champion Anna Grimaldi (T47)and three-time global medallist Rhiannon Clarke (WA, T38, Danny Kevan).
A World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level meet, the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne is the only meet of this level within the Oceania region, sitting just below the Diamond League in status on the global athletics calendar.
The meet is part of Australia’s premier athletics tour, the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, and is supported by the Victorian Government through its Significant Sporting Events Program.
Final tickets can be purchased HERE, with gate sales not guaranteed on event day pending capacity.
Full entry lists, schedules and live results can be found here:
Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne (Gold)
Melbourne Invitational (Bronze)
By Lachlan Moorhouse and Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics
Posted 26/03/2025
