Australia’s middle distance talent reigned supreme at the Maurie Plant Meet - Melbourne tonight, with Olympic finalist Stewart McSweyn outkicking former 1500m world champ Jake Wightman.
Melbourne, Australia; 13 February 2024: Just two sleeps remain until Australia’s biggest one-day athletics meeting erupts at Lakeside Stadium, as the highly anticipated Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne sets the scene for homegrown heroes led by Torrie Lewis and a star-studded cast of international challengers featuring 2022 world champion Jake Wightman and athletics prodigy Sasha Zhoya.
The Millrose Games' elite programme kicked off with a bang as Devynne Charlton set a breathtaking world record in the 60m hurdles, clocking an impressive 7.67 at the World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold meeting in New York on Sunday.
After a two-hour delay caused by unexpected precipitation on the course, the much-anticipated Black Canyon 100K in Phoenix, Arizona, went off without a hitch on Saturday. Both the men's and women's competition had an outstanding roster of athletes. In an incredible time of seven hours, thirty minutes, and eighteen seconds, 2020 champion Hayden Hawks made a victorious comeback to the ultra-trail circuit, setting a new course record by two and a half minutes.
Stian Angermund, the current world short-course trail running champion hailing from Norway, is facing a doping controversy following a positive test for the diuretic chlorthalidone after his triumph at the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc's OCC event in August last year. Despite the setback, Angermund steadfastly proclaims his innocence, expressing confusion and disbelief regarding the doping allegations.
In a heart-breaking turn of events, the running community mourns the loss of Kelvin Kiptum, the 24-year-old Kenyan marathon sensation, whose untimely death has been confirmed by his family. The tragic incident unfolded in a fatal traffic accident on the Eldoret-Kaptagat road in Kenya, claiming not only Kiptum's life but also that of his coach, Rwanda's Gervais Hakizimana.
Paul Chelimo, recently opened up about his debut full marathon at the US Olympic trials after an unexpected withdrawal from the race. The Olympic 5000m bronze medallist had high hopes of securing a spot on the Olympic team but faced disappointment in his inaugural marathon.
In an impressive display of athleticism at the recent Meeting Hauts-de-France Pas-de-Calais Trophée EDF on Saturday (10), Gudaf Tsegay, Lamecha Girma, and Grant Holloway delivered performances that approached the threshold of rewriting historical records in their respective fields.
Following the Olympic Marathon Trials on February 3, the primary focus shifted to the fate of Leonard Korir, the third men's finisher, and the ambiguity surrounding his potential Olympic participation. World Athletics' intricate rules for allocating the 80 spots in the Olympic Marathon left Korir in suspense as he clinched the third spot in the Trials with a time of 2:09:57, falling short of the automatic qualification time of 2:08:10.
Melbourne, Australia; 8 February 2024 - As the clock counts down to the Olympic Games, the intensity of the Australian middle distance scene is only ramping up, with the stage set for a battle between national record holder Catriona Bisset, Commonwealth medallist Abbey Caldwell and an all-star cast at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne next Thursday.
