Australia’s top athletes met in Melbourne on February 15 at the Maurie Plant Meet infront of an excited audience. It was Australia’s middle-distance talent who reigned supreme at the Maurie Plant meet, with Olympic finalist Stewart McSweyn and teenager Claudia Hollingsworth winning in front of a roaring crowd.
Saluting with a brave victory in the John Landy Mile and stopping the clock in 3:52.00, Stewart McSweyn fended off the 2022 world 1500m champion Jake Wightman (GBR, 3:52.11) and also Cameron Myers (3:52.44)
McSweyn pointed to the sky in honour of former manager and athletics stalwart, Maurie Plant.
“It’s hugely important, it’s such an honor to run in a meet named after Maurie. To have a massive crowd here is justice to what Maurie meant to the sport. Hopefully it just keeps building year to year,” McSweyn said.
“It was a tough race with great competition. I wanted to make sure I performed and that was a good hitout to start the season.”
The Women’s 800m was an exhilirating race in which 18 year old Claudia Hollingsworth executed a flawless final lap and shattered her second consecutive Australian Under 20 record in the space of a week with a time of 1:59.81.
“I’m just taking it race by race and seeing how far I can go. Each race I surprise myself which is what I’m aiming to do, but I’m always trying to go that step further,” Hollingsworth said.
“I’ve never properly celebrated after a win before, but crossing that line all the emotions actually came out and recognising that winning is such an exciting feeling, especially with the atmosphere. It is pretty cool and pretty crazy.”
Hollingsworth snatched the lead in the home straight from both Abbey Caldwell (2:00.54) and Catriona Bisset (2:01.41), who finished in second and third placings respectively.
Rohan Browning, Australia’s fastest man, asserted his dominance over 200m when he won with a time of 20.80.
Reigning Paralympic champion James Turner won the Men’s 100m Ambulant, clocking 12.06-seconds to score 97.16 (-2.0) on the BASELINE system. Australia’s fastest Paralympian Chad Perris was forced to settle for second place, crossing the line in 11.03.
