OIli and Jess Win 1500m

NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship holders headlined a massive night of athletics action in front of a capacity crowd of 6,177 at Lakeside Stadium for the Maurie Plant Meet, as the world’s fastest man descended on Australia’s first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Level meet.

Fresh off their bronze medal success at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships Bathurst 2023, Olli Hoare and Jessica Hull, backed up with strong performances in the middle-distance ranks.

Olli headlined the John Landy Mile to produce the third fastest time by an Australian on home soil, with young gun Cameron Myers delivering an age-defying result to break a 43-year-old Australian Under 20 record.

Kicking down the back straight, Olli powered away from the field to cross the line in 3:52.24 to a thundering reception from the home crowd.

“This is why I came home. I want people to be excited about athletics like an event that the best in the world can come and watch and Melbourne, Lakeside Stadium and Athletics Australia have all made it pay off.” Olli said.

Abbey Caldwell and Jessica Hull produced an explosive final lap in the women’s 1500m to get the crowd on their feet. Jessica broke away with 300m to go but a fightback from Abbey had the grandstand shaking. Closing the gap on Jessica, Abbey loomed onimously, but Australia’s fastest-ever 1500m runner secured the win in 4:07.11.

“To have the crowd and to be able to feel [Abbey] pushing me and kind of just go through the gears and try and see what I had. It’s pretty incredible Abbey bring out the best in it tonight,” Jess said.

“She kind of took it on a lot further out then I thought she would. So yeah, gutsy run from her and I’m excited for some battles in the next few weeks.”

USA’s Fred Kerley and Australia’s Rohan Browning pulled huge cheers from 6,000-plus athletics fans in the Peter Norman 200m. The noise was deafening when they entered the straight, with Rohan leading the group. However, surging down the home straight there was no doubt the American had come to impress and comfortably crossed in 20.32 (-0.9) with some showboating to boot.

“The conditions were good, I enjoyed myself. [Breaking the 20 seconds barrier] would have been easy, but hey,” said Kerley.

“I got unfinished business in the 200m, so just to come and race, enjoy myself and have fun doing things right.”

Australia’s Samantha Dale delivered the night’s major upset with a win in the women’s long jump, achieving a personal best. Going head-to-head with Australian record holder Brooke Buschkuehl and USA’s Tara Davis-Woodhall, Dale’s second-round jump of 6.71m was too good for the Olympic finalists.

The final race of the night silenced Lakeside Stadium with the crowd in anticipation for the Men’s 100m. Rohan and New Zealand’s Edward Osei-Nketia were stride-for-stride until a final surge saw Browning edge out the Kiwi by the slimmest of margins crossing in 10.26, only 0.01 ahead of Osei-Nketia.

Chad Perris asserted his presence as Australia’s fastest Paralympian, roaring down the home straight in a time of 10.81 (-0.1) to defeat his rivals. Fresh off an Australian 100m T13 record, the White Tiger defeated Commonwealth Games silver medallist Jaydon Page (10.95) and the US Paralympic medallist Hunter Woodhall (11.22).

NSWIS scholarship holder Nicola Olyslagers continued her journey towards the 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest with a victory in the women’s high jump competition clearing 1.93m.

While fellow NSWIS scholarship holder Cameron McEntyre finished second in the javelin with a throw of 80.32m.

The eyes of the world have been on Australian athletics over the past fortnight, following the World Athletics Cross Country Championships and this meet, as the opening round of the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold series.

Article courtesy of Athletics Australia