The Maurie Plant Meet is the highest rated athletics meet in Oceania for the year, attracting international and Australian elite athletes and a significant cohort of Australia’s rising talent.
This is not a preview of the events per se, but of the younger generation we have the opportunity to watch perform. I’m thinking there’ll be some of us saying in Brisbane in 2032, “Isn’t it amazing – I saw them seven years ago at the Maurie Plant Meet … so good to see them now as Olympians … C’MON!” Don’t be the one to miss out!
photos: Michael Thomas
There’s no doubt athletics in Australia is on the rise – the last four Global Championships have seen record breaking medal hauls.
One of those Championships was the World U20’s in Lima last year. What strikes you reading through the starting lists for this year’s Maurie Plant Meet is how many of the young, talented athletes who were part of that record breaking medal haul, we’ll get to see competing on Saturday.
But they’re not just competing, many of them have already taken charge of their events … this next generation has well & truly emerged.
Torrie Lewis [competing in 200m], Peyton Craig [800m] and Claudia Hollingsworth [1500m] are already Olympians – all of them making their semi-finals and then going on to win silver medals in Lima. Lewis repeated the semi-final appearance just last week in the 60 metres at the World Indoors, where Jemma Pollard [400m] won World Indoor bronze in the 4x400m team.
Others from that junior team have been quietly making Global headlines:
· Gout Gout by smashing the 56-year-old record held by the man being celebrated in the event Gout will run on Saturday [Peter Norman Memorial 200m] and then following that up with a wind-assisted sub-20 200m, another first.
· Cameron Myers [John Landy Memorial 1500m] took the USA by storm, breaking indoor Australian senior records, including equalling the National outdoor mile record when placing third in the prestigious Wanamaker Mile, where the World Indoor mile record was broken.
We’ve seen Daniel Williams [800m] snapping at the heels of Peter Bol [John Landy Memorial 1500m] who had to run a 1:44 to beat him. Williams is now one of the fastest in the world all-time for his age, and with Bol running the 1500m, the battle with Luke Boyes and Craig will be something to watch.
Sebastian Sultana [100m] has entered '10.0' territory and put his name right up there as one who could potentially go sub-10 this year. He’s racing Lachlan Kennedy and Rohan Browning who have the same ambition.
Jessica Milat’s [200m] start to 2025 has been rapid, going sub-23 for the first time and races three other sub-23 Aussies (Lewis, Mia Gross, Lakara Stallan). We’ve never seen a 200m race in Australia where four Australian women go under 23 seconds – could this be the first?
Amelia Rowe and Sophia Gregorevic join a frantic 400m race with Pollard – frantic because there’s 11 women under 53.5 already this year (equal best ever) and only six will be going to the Guangzhou World Relays in May.
Delta Amidzovski [100mH] was six years old when Michelle Jenneke did her trademark warm-up dance at World Juniors – now she’ll be looking for a first time win over the second fastest Australian all-time.
Terrell Thorne [400m] did not get overawed in his first athletics competition overseas and made the final in Lima. It’s a different sort of challenge to manage the awe when racing the Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo, and two other Batswana 44-second runners, but one I’m sure he’s up for it.
Izobelle Louison-Roe [High Jump] does not lack for inspiring role models, watching the world-beating success of Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson, and now she gets to compete against one of them. Another with a great role model is Ethan Ayodele [Discus], who’s improved a massive six metres this year and as he tries to push over that 60 metre mark, I’m sure there’s a thing or two he’ll learn from Matt Denny.
Alex Epitropakis [triple jump] is joined by a host of young jumpers - Awan Akuen, Liam Glew and Daniel Okerenyang - all of whom are in the high 15 metre range and would love to pop over 16 metres at this meet. With all five of Australia’s current 16+ metre jumpers competing this is definitely one to watch.
The youngest on the World Junior team, Thewbelle Philp [100m], still just 16 years old, continues to surprise her more senior competitors with her early speed. But she’s not the only 16-year-old - Emma Fryga [800m] is only a second behind Claudia Hollingsworth at the same age after rapid improvements this year.
Lucas Chis has been breaking long-standing national age records in the middle distances – most recently the 32-year-old U18 1000m mark. Keep an eye on him in the John Landy Memorial 1500m – there’s a race within a race – because he’s up against the New Zealand sensation Sam Ruthe, the only 15-year-old to break the 4 minute mile.
Other younger Australian athletes will be taking it up to their more credentialed rivals. Lianna Davidson and Mia Gordon have both smashed their javelin PBs this year and will challenge Kelsey-Lee Barber and Mackenzie Little. Mia has improved over seven metres this year (59.17m) and stands ready to launch over 60m, while Lianna, back from the USA to compete, threw a three metre PB (63.79m) almost reaching the 64 metre World Championships standard.
Worth noting those that have returned home from their US-base, as we don’t get to see them often. National record holder Stephanie Ratcliffe goes against a strong international field in the hammer throw – first time competing in Australian since January 2023! Alanah Yukich has been back for a few months and ran her first 400 meter hurdles race in Australian since 2019 – catch her over the 400m before she returns to the USA after nationals.
US-based World Indoor Championship representatives have used China as a stop over before flying home to compete - Oliver Hoare goes in the 1500m and Ky Robinson in the 5000m. Both are keen to get a World Championship qualifier, as will be Jack Anstey & Adam Spencer, which means the 1500m is looking like an absolute cracker.
Actually ‘absolute cracker’ pretty much sums up this entire meet not least because there is so much youthful talent on show. The next generation has emerged and you can be a witness to the amazing journey they will be taking us on. Strongly recommend those that can, come to Lakeside Stadium and get caught up in the atmosphere, otherwise watch live on 7plus.