TASMANIAN ATHLETES SHINE AT THE MAURIE PLANT MEET

TASMANIAN ATHLETES SHINE AT MAURIE PLANT MEET IN MELBOURNE

Melbourne, Australia - The Tasmanian Athletics community is celebrating the success of its athletes at the Maurie Plant Meet held in Melbourne last night (23/2/23). The event, which took place at Lakeside Stadium, featured some of the world’s top athletes competing in a range of events.

The Maurie Plant Meet was one of the most prestigious athletics events in the Australian athletics calendar for 2023, attracting top athletes from around the country and the world as part of the World Athletics Continental Tour. The event was named after the legendary athletics promoter Maurie Plant.

Tasmania was represented by a strong contingent of athletes whom all put forward strong performances.

One of the feature Tasmanian athletes at the meet, and fresh off a bronze medal at the World XC event in Bathurst, Stewart McSweyn, claimed 2^nd in the men's 3000m behind young Kenyan, Ishmael Kipkurui with a time of 7:44.36.

Tasmanian Sprint Stars Jacob Despard and Jack Hale gave a strong showing in the Men’s 100m with the pair finishing 4^th (10.45) and 7^th (10.54) respectively. Despard, fresh off breaking the Tasmanian 200m State Record twice already this year, ran on strong in the Peter Norman 200m to finish 5^th (20.90) against the world’s fastest man Fred Kerley who lit up the field, celebrating as he crossed the line.

Other notable performances by Tasmanian athletes included Commonwealth Games medallist Hamish Peacock, who returned to some form in the Men’s Javelin with a performance of 70.90m in a field filled with international talent. Meanwhile, in the John Landy Men’s Mile, Tasmanian distance runner James Hanson finished in 7^th place behind Olympian and Commonwealth Champion Oli Hoare, breaking the fabled 4-minute mile with a time of 3:57.20

For more information and a wrap-up from the meet, please visit: https://www.athletics.com.au/news/fans-flock-to-cheer-on-world-class-fields-at-maurie-plant-meet/.