Fresh off winning silver at the World Athletics Indoor Championships, reigning world champion Nicola Olyslagers is bound for the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne where the high jumper is set to mesmerize a capacity crowd.
Tickets are selling fast and with two-time Olympic silver medallist Olyslagers (NSW) only adding to what was already an all-star cast, the March 28 showdown at Lakeside Stadium is shaping up as the hottest night of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.
A two-time winner at the event in 2023 and 2024, Olyslagers is no stranger to the Melbourne lights, bringing her credentials as the Australian record holder at 2.04m to the World Athletics Continental Tour – Gold meet.
Winning the last six national titles, Australian athletics fans have come to know the world number one as one of the sport’s most reliable and entertaining performers.
“I’m so looking forward to Melbourne. To have such a high-level meet on home soil combines my two worlds – the professional side of sport and the location of where it all began,” Olyslagers said.
Rising star Izobelle Louison-Roe (NSW) will be no walkover as a 1.95m jumper at just 18-years-old, continuing her road to the 2026 World Athletics Under 20 Championships where she will look to upgrade her silver medal from the 2024 instalment of the championships.
“I think it’s so important for the future of our sport that athletes can experience big performances and big competitions, and that on our doorstep we have access to the best of athletics,” Olyslagers said.
Three-time Japanese champion Nagisa Takahashi (JPN) and Emily Whelan (NSW) add to the calibre of the field as World Championships representatives.
The 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne is the first of 12 World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meets for 2026, sitting just under the Diamond League in status. Oceania’s only Gold Level meet is supported by the Victorian Government through its Significant Sporting Events Program.
The 2025 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne was sold out, attracting 10,000 fans to Lakeside Stadium.
Tickets are available for purchase HERE as part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 20/3/2026
