World Athletics Continental Tour Meet
Saturday 28 February 2026
Lakeside Stadium, Melbourne
There is the time-honoured Stawell Gift, with all the history since 1878, contested over Easter.
On the (synthetic) track in Victoria, each athletics season is the Maurie Plant Meet, formerly the Melbourne Track Classic.
As part of the World Athletics Continental Tour – a truly worldwide series of quality athletics meets – including Tokyo, Nairobi, Budapest, Los Angeles, and the Paavo Nurmi Games in Finland – top overseas athletes compete.
Last Saturday night in Melbourne, the 2026 world indoor 1500m champion Georgia Hunter-Bell (England) competed, along with 2025 400m ‘Diamond League’ winner Jacoby Patterson (USA).
There were many of Australia’s best competing as well: including Kennedy times two (Nina and Lachie), Gout Gout, Matt Denny and Nicola Olyslagers. Three Olympic medallists in that group: Nina Kennedy (gold: pole vault), Nicola Olyslagers (silver: high jump) and Matt Denny (bronze: discus).
Here are five event summaries from a great night of athletics:
Men’s 1500m (The John Landy 1500m):
Named after the legendary John Landy, the second runner in history to break four minutes for the mile, this race would have made Mr Landy proud. Nineteen-year-old Australian Cam Myers ran the fastest time in the world this year of 3 minutes 30.42 seconds.
Cam Myers: remember the name.
Women’s 1500m:
Another Australian young gun, Claudia Hollingsworth, had a great run, holding off the recently crowned world indoor champion Georgia Hunter-Bell (England). Hollingsworth, a world U/20 silver medallist, who is coached by the great Craig Mottram, ran a strong race to defeat Bell, who had flown in from Poland mid-week.
Women’s high jump:
Nicola Olyslagers is one of Australia’s most decorated athletes at both Olympic and World Championship level. On a brisk autumn evening in Melbourne, both Nicola and the 19-year-old ‘up and coming’ Izobella Louison-Roe both cleared 1.95m, Nicola taking the win on countback.
Women’s pole vault:
Olympic gold medallist Nina Kennedy, on the comeback trail after hamstring surgery, is eying defending her title at the LA 2028 Olympics. Competing against two of the USA’s top College prospects, Nina continued to build towards the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in August with a 4.72m clearance.
Peter Norman Men’s 200m:
The last event on the program, appropriately honouring the 1968 Olympic silver medallist, Peter Norman, the Australian 200m record holder (1968-2024) who was part of the famous ‘Black Power Salute’ on the Olympic victory dais in Mexico City, alongside Tommie Smith and John Carlos. The three medallists’ bond grew so strongly after that famous race that Smith and Carlos were pall bearers at Peter Norman’s funeral in 2006. There is a statue of the great Peter Norman outside the gates of Lakeside Stadium, a short walk from the 200m start.
This was the Gout Gout-Lachie Kennedy showdown. The rain began as the sprinters were checking their starting blocks. Kennedy burst out of the blocks, ran a great bend, with Gout Gout flying home on the outside. As was the case at the 2025 meet, Kennedy was the faster of the two Queenslanders on the night: 20.38 seconds to 20.45 seconds.
A fitting conclusion to a great night of athletics.
Event list:
Men’s triple jump, Men’s 1500m, Women’s discus, women’s 400m hurdles, men’s 3000m, men’s 100m, women’s 100m, men’s long jump, women’s 100m b, women’s pole vault, women’s 3000m, men’s 400m, women’s high jump, men’s 800m, men’s discus, John Landy mile (1500m), women’s 100m hurdles, women’s 200m, Peter Norman memorial 200m
Highlights:
Highlights & Best Moments | 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne
Women’s 1500m
Women’s 1500m Final | 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne
Men’s 1500m
Cam Myers Runs a WORLD LEAD 1500m at Maurie Plant 2026
Peter Norman 200m
Peter Norman Memorial 200m | 2026 Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne
Who was Maurie Plant:
Vale Maurice Stephen (Maurie) Plant (12 Feb 1953 to 19 January 2020) | Australian Athletics
BAROSSA VALLEY RED WINE OF THE WEEK
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Russel Hansen, South Sydney football club diamond member 6199, lives in Nuriootpa, Barossa Valley, South Australia. His golden retriever, Murray, is named after the South Sydney captain. Twitter/X: @Rabbit in the Vineyard @Russel_Hansen
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About Russel Hansen
Russel Hansen Has worked in schools for over thirty years – as a teacher, coach, coach educator, sports coordinator and in pastoral care roles. Whilst at Brisbane Boys’ College as Director of Athletics, he led teams to six GPS premierships in track and field, and cross country. He has coached (athletics) at all levels from school to international. His squad at the University of Queensland (to January 2023) included Lachlan Kennedy OLY, Paris 4x100m relay runner, Australian record holder. He is married to Heidi, a Primary school principal, and is father to two adult daughters. Twitter: @Russel_Hansen
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Thanks for the insights, RITV. You must get a real buzz out of watching these athletes going around, potentially a ‘golden generation’ of Aussie talent. The Peter Norman story seems to grow in lustre as the decades pass. A happy and blessed Easter to you and Mrs Hansen.
Cam Myers run was extraordinary. Effortless athleticism.
And Kennedy showed the advantage of a few more years in beating Gout. Out of the blocks he is lightening fast which causes Gout to tighten up. Gout will probably learn from experience.
Ian: yes, this generation is GREAT – Olympic medallists – then the new breed: Torrie Lewis (Years 10-12 at St Peters Lutheran College, Indooroopilly) – add her in to the mix – as the Australian 100m record holder, there are a number of strong 400m runners – watch for the men’s 4 x 400m at the world relay championships in Botswana – first weekend in May.
Happy & blessed Easter.
RITV
Dips: Yes, Cam Myers … he can move! Poetry in motion
Gout Gout: this time last year he was in Year 12, makes the world champs semi finals in the 200m, then finishes off his senior year! He will get better & better – he’s only 18 years old
RITV