One lap of the track and 10 hurdles will stand between Sarah Carli and Alanah Yukich when the 2026 Chemist Warehouse Summer Series launches at the Perth Track Classic on February 14, as the Olympic duo prepare for the next chapter of an emerging rivalry.
The WA Athletics Stadium will host two of the top five fastest Australian 400m hurdlers in history when Carli and Yukich touch down for their sixth head-to-head showdown, hosted on a track that has a growing reputation as Australia’s premier sprinting location.
The local support will lean the way of Yukich (WA, Rose Monday) who is one of Western Australia’s own, with the Olympic semi-finalist loading into the blocks with a 55.04-second personal best and ambitions of setting up her 2026 Commonwealth Games campaign.
“I’m really excited to be back racing on the domestic circuit, especially in Perth. After spending so much time based in the US, it feels special to be able to compete at home in front of an Australian crowd again,” Yukich said.
“There’s something really grounding about racing in familiar environments, and Perth Track Classic is such a high-quality meet that always brings out strong competition. It feels like a full-circle moment and a great way to kick off the season.”
A two-time Olympian who set a personal best of 54.29-seconds in Perth when winning the 2025 Australian title, Carli (NSW, Abbie Taddeo) has been the benchmark for the nation’s 400m hurdlers in recent years, going unbeaten in the event on home soil since the Tokyo Olympic Games.
Amongst her 13 consecutive domestic victories are four straight national titles, with the 31-year-old leading a rising Australian charge:
“It’s always exciting heading back to the track that holds your personal best. It’s also even more special that it’ll be my first race with Bella Guthrie as a training partner,” Carli said.
“February is a little early for me to open my season over the hurdles but I’m up for the challenge.”
That next wave of hurdlers will race alongside Carli and Yukich in Perth, with national medallists Marli Wilkinson (VIC, Dan Bailey) and Isabella Guthrie (NSW, Abbie Taddeo) ready to take the next step in their developing careers, while teenagers Mia Shelley (WA, Ben Catley) and Maiya Hewitt (NSW, Josh Hewitt) also earn their maiden one-day meeting starts.
The 2026 Perth Track Classic will be hosted as part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, taking place at the WA Athletics Stadium on February 14.
Tickets can be purchased HERE.
By Lachlan Moorhouse, Australian Athletics
Posted 8/1/2026
