Athletes took center stage on an unexpectedly cool autumn evening in Melbourne as the first World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meeting of 2025 kicked off on Saturday (29 March).
The event delivered standout performances across sprints, throws, and middle-distance races in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000—Melbourne’s largest athletics audience since the Nitro series featuring Usain Bolt.
In the men’s 400m, Bayapo Ndori outpaced his compatriot and Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo, leading a Botswana 1-2-3 finish.
Ndori crossed the line in 45.12 seconds, with Tebogo clocking 45.26 and Leungo Scotch completing the podium at 45.60.
Meanwhile, Lachlan Kennedy edged Gout Gout in a thrilling men’s 200m race. Kennedy, the world indoor 60m silver medallist, secured victory in 20.26 seconds, narrowly holding off Gout, who finished in 20.30.
The field events delivered equally exciting results. In the javelin, Queensland’s Lianna Davidson upset world bronze medallist Mackenzie Little with a winning throw of 61.06m, while Matt Denny clinched the discus title with a meeting record of 68.17m. Eleanor Patterson excelled in the high jump, clearing 1.94m for victory.
The middle-distance races saw Cameron Myers triumph in the prestigious John Landy 1500m with a time of 3:34.98, beating national champion Adam Spencer. Claudia Hollingsworth delivered a perfectly timed run to win the women’s 1500m in 4:05.97, ahead of Sarah Billings.
In the women’s hammer throw, Jillian Shippee of the USA set a meeting record with a mark of 71.26m, while Ky Robinson impressed in the men’s 5000m, securing victory in 13:13.17.
