Rising Australian sprint star Gout Gout is set to share the spotlight with Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo and a lineup of global athletics icons at the Maurie Plant Classic this Saturday (29 March) in Melbourne.
This marks the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of 2025, promising an exciting showcase of athletic excellence.
Gout’s meteoric rise is reflected in his impressive performances. After breaking the longstanding Australian men’s 200m record with a time of 20.04 at the Queensland All Schools Championships last year, Gout has continued to turn heads.
A wind-assisted 19.98 (+3.6m/s) earlier this month, coupled with a wind-legal 20.05, cements his status as a sprinting prodigy poised to break the sub-20 barrier soon.
This year’s Maurie Plant Classic marks a turning point for Gout, who finished fifth in the 200m last year with a time of 21.39. Now 12 months later, he headlines the Peter Norman 200m, competing against prominent names such as Japan’s Koki Ueyama, a 20.26 sprinter and Olympic 4x100m silver medalist, and Yudai Nishi, World University Games silver medalist (20.43).
Meanwhile, Tebogo, the Olympic 200m champion, will take on a challenging 400m race against notable contenders, including his Botswana teammates Bayapo Ndori and Leungo Scotch, and Australia’s world indoor semi-finalist Cooper Sherman.
Although Gout and Tebogo won’t face off directly, their performances are expected to capture the imagination of fans.
The Maurie Plant Classic will also feature elite competitions in field and distance events.
Highlights include:
• Women’s Javelin: Olympic medalists Mackenzie Little and Kelsey-Lee Barber will duel, joined by Sae Takemoto of Japan and New Zealand’s Tori Moorby.
• Men’s Discus: Australia’s Matt Denny aims to challenge the 70-meter mark against Great Britain’s Lawrence Okoye and Connor Bell of New Zealand.
• Middle & Long Distances: Stars such as Olli Hoare, Stewart McSweyn, and Georgia Griffith will lead competitive races across the 1500m, 3000m, and 5000m distances.
