Latest news with #MauriePlantMeet
ABC News
03-05-2025
- Sport
- ABC News
Australia's Sarah Billings second in 800m at Shanghai Diamond League meet
Sarah Billings has narrowly missed breaking the Australian women's 800 metres record as she enjoyed another breakthrough performance at the Shanghai Diamond League meet. She clocked a personal best of 1 minute and 57.83 seconds as she chased home Ethiopian winner Tsige Duguma (1:56.64). Billings's time was just 0.05 outside Catriona Bisset's national mark of 1:57.78, set in London six years ago. "I couldn't be happier," Billings said after the race. Photo shows Eleanor Patterson competing in the high jump at the 2025 Maurie Plant Meet. Australian high jumpers Eleanor Patterson and Nicola Olyslagers secure top-three finishes at the Xiamen Diamond League meet, while sprinter Lachlan Kennedy places fifth in 100m. "I've been picked for the world championships in the 1,500m already, so that's still the main goal. "But that was pretty close to the national record, so I'm really happy." Billings was not the only Australian to reach the podium. Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson finished second and third respectively behind Ukraine's Olympic champion and world record holder, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, in the women's high jump. Olyslagers cleared 1.98m on her second attempt to finish ahead of Patterson (1.95m) but Mahuchikh's 2.00m clearance again put her on top Mahuchikh won ahead of Patterson and Olyslagers in Xiamen. Sweden's Olympic and world champion Armand Duplantis soared 6.11m to win the men's pole vault. Australian Kurtis Marschall cleared 5.72m to claim fourth place. AAP
Reuters
14-04-2025
- Sport
- Reuters
Genie out of the bottle for Gout after breakthrough nationals
MELBOURNE, April 14 (Reuters) - Stubborn tailwinds may have denied Gout Gout official times at Australia's athletics championships but they did nothing to blow away the hype surrounding the 17-year-old sprinter after his watershed meet. The Queensland schoolboy claimed his first national title in the 200 metres in a wind-assisted 19.84 seconds in Perth on Sunday, days after clocking 9.99 in the 100 of the under-20 event with another illegal wind. The 200 win was an emphatic response two weeks after being upstaged by compatriot Lachlan Kennedy in front of a capacity crowd at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne. While the setback may have knocked the confidence of other callow runners, Gout's coach Di Sheppard said it had only made him angry. There would be no 200 rematch with Kennedy, who was disqualified for a false start on Sunday, but Gout channelled his rage superbly to blitz the rest of the field. "It's definitely frustrating," Gout said of the wind. "I run fast times, but the wind is not on my side. "These are the steps we take to the top, you know? And these are the steps I have to take to potentially become world champion, Olympic champion." A parade of athletes and officials have warned Australia not to expect too much too soon of Gout, the son of South Sudan immigrants whose runs have earned comparisons with Usain Bolt. The warnings have gone largely unheeded. "What is also now a matter not open for debate is that Gout is the real thing. We are witnesses to greatness emerging in front of us by the race," said a testimonial published in The Age, a Melbourne newspaper. Gout can no longer go out in public without being swamped by fans and will return to his high school in Ipswich, outside of Brisbane, to another round of cheers from classmates. "The cork's out of the genie bottle now," Sheppard said. Australia will have another look at Gout at the Stawell Gift, a rural meet in southern Victoria state in the coming Easter weekend. The world will have to wait until his winter school holidays when he makes his international debut in Europe. Gout is scheduled to race twice in Europe, including the Ostrava Golden Spike on June 24 in the Czech Republic -- stepping stones on the way to a World Championships debut in Tokyo in September. While Gout hogged the limelight in Perth, governing body Australian Athletics was buoyed by a string of national records falling during the meet. Peter Bol, who finished fourth in the 800 at the Tokyo Olympics, took the national mark in 1:43.79, a return to form after his career was disrupted by a doping saga in 2023 before being cleared of wrongdoing. Patrick Johnson's long-standing Australian record of 9.93 in the men's 100 remains intact but he may soon be joined by a compatriot in the sub-10 second club. Kennedy ran 10 seconds flat in a heat before he was edged in the final by Rohan Browning, who matched his personal best of 10.01. "I wanted to come out and remind these guys who their dad is," 27-year-old Browning said. "There's a lot of short memories in this sport."
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Rival captured in staggering act towards Gout Gout after disqualification drama
Lachie Kennedy showed his class after his highly-anticipated 200m showdown with Gout Gout was ruined on Sunday in Perth. Gout created more worldwide headlines with a remarkable run of 19.84 seconds in the 200m at the Australian athletics championships - albeit with an illegal tail-wind. Gout's showdown with Kennedy was set to be the highlight of the meet, after the latter upstaged his 17-year-old rival in the event at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne last month. But there was huge drama in Sunday's final when Kennedy was disqualified for a false start, leaving Gout as the centre of attention. The 21-year-old Kennedy was red-carded for moving before the starting gun, after some felt he committed the same foul before his heat. On that occasion he wasn't disqualified, but his luck ran out in the final and he was kicked out of the race. Kennedy watched on as Gout set the track ablaze, posting a remarkable 19.84 seconds as Aidan Murphy was a distant second in 20.40. Gout celebrated wildly upon seeing his time, but he faced a nervous wait to find out if the tail-wind was below the legal limit of 2m/second. But just like in the 100m final of the Under-20 event - when Gout recorded a 9.99 - the tail-wind was deemed illegal and the teenager's time won't go into the official record books. The reading was 2.2m/s in the 200m final, meaning his time doesn't stand as an official record. Nevertheless, Gout's 200m run is the fastest ever recorded by an Australian - wind-assisted or not - and will further put his name up in lights on the world stage. It marked the second time he's posted a wind-assisted sub-20 run in the event, following a 19.98 with a 3.6m/s tail-wind in Queensland last month. In a brilliant show of sportsmanship after Sunday's final, Kennedy ran down the track to congratulate and celebrate with Gout. Kennedy wrapped his arms around Gout and broke out in a giant smile, and couldn't be happier for his rival. "It means a lot," Gout said of Kennedy's support. "He's a fellow Queenslander. Just the camaraderie we have is definitely great and something that will continue to be great. "That was very disappointing (to see him disqualified), because our plan was to send it down the bend and hopefully we can hold on for both sub-20. But I mean, stuff like that happens, and unfortunately he false-started, but it is what it is." Even have a little handshake, love this — . (@XerrirobbedofAA) April 13, 2025 Class act! — Dan Coppel (@dcoppel) April 13, 2025 There is our opening and closing legs of relay team embracing — BorderAthleticsSC (@Borderathletics) April 13, 2025 Gout broke Peter Norman's official 56-year-old Australian record in the 200m last year when he clocked 20.04 seconds - a time faster than sprint king Usain Bolt ran at the same age (20.13). But Kennedy earned bragging rights over his 17-year-old rival last month when he posted a time of 20.26 to beat Gout by four-tenths of a second in Melbourne. The pair look destined for a titanic rivalry in both the 100m and 200m for years to come. They've yet to race head-to-head in the 100m because Gout has only competed in the Under-20 event across the shorter distance. On Saturday night, Rohan Browning reminded his younger rivals that he's still a force to be reckoned with, pipping Kennedy in a photo-finish in the 100m final. That finish 🥵 — Brisbane 2032 (@Brisbane_2032) April 13, 2025 Not putting any pressure on the lad but I can picture the Brisbane 32 advertisement campaign now and he's front and centre 🤞🙌 — jd (@thedoorunrun) April 13, 2025 19.84s!!🤯🔥17-year-old Gout Gout 🇦🇺 has just run a blistering 19.84s (2.2) to win the Australian senior men's 200m title in Perth!He beat the field by a huge margin, with Aidan Murphy a far 2nd in Kennedy was disqualified for a false start. — Track & Field Gazette (@TrackGazette) April 13, 2025 It is quite unfortunate that the wind is affecting his times so badly but it is looking good so far. He will be up for it at the World Champs — ubhekani (@u_bhekani) April 13, 2025 with AAP
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kennedy versus Gout duel back on for 200m men's final
Sprint stars Lachie Kennedy and Gout Gout are into the 200m final after easing through their respective heats at the Australian Athletics Championships in Perth. Gout eased up slightly at the end but was still able to post a strong time of 20.21 seconds to win heat one at the WA Athletics Stadium on Sunday. Kennedy posted 20.85 in heat two, but slowed up even more than Gout at the end in a bid to save himself for the afternoon's final. Aidan Murphy beat Kennedy to the line with a time of 20.52. Ultra impressive from Aidan Murphy 💪Lachie Kennedy claims the second automatic qualification spot to set up a rematch with Gout Gout 🔥Men's 200m Final 5pm AEST 👉 — 7Sport (@7Sport) April 13, 2025 Kennedy had cast doubt on his participation in the 200m after finishing second in the 100m final on Saturday night, saying he would wait until Sunday morning before determining if he was fit enough to run. "I'm definitely sore, definitely a little tight, but we'll see how we pull up tomorrow," Kennedy said on Saturday night. "It will sort of be like a vibe thing, like how the body feels, how the legs feel. If they're feeling tight just walking around, I'll probably call it " The fact Kennedy slowed up so much at the end of his 200m heat on Sunday is a good sign he is saving himself for the final in what shapes as yet another mouth-watering battle against Gout. Gout Gout in cruise control 😎He's into the 200m Final at 5pm AEST Do not miss it 👉 — 7Sport (@7Sport) April 13, 2025 Gout broke Peter Norman's 56-year-old Australian 200m record late last year when he clocked 20.04 seconds - a time faster than sprint king Usain Bolt ran at the same age (20.13). But Kennedy earned bragging rights over his 17-year-old rival last month when he posted a time of 20.26 to beat Gout by four-tenths of a second at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne. Kennedy arrived in Perth with his heart set on breaking the 10-second mark in the 100m sprint. He posted 10.00 in his first heat in a race where he eased up at the death. Rohan Browning WINS the 100 final in an equal PB of 10.01 from Lachie Kennedy ... just!What a race 🔥 — 7Sport (@7Sport) April 12, 2025 And in a final for the ages, Rohan Browning posted 10.01 (.001) to pip Kennedy's 10.01 (.006) in a dramatic photo finish on Saturday night. "I'm sad I didn't crack 10," Kennedy said. "But there'll be plenty of opportunities to crack 10 down the line, so I'm not too stressed about it." On a busy final day of the championships, Kurtis Marschall will be aiming to break through the 6m barrier for the first time when he competes in the men's pole vault final. Three-time Olympian Peter Bol will do battle with Peyton Craig and Luke Boyes in the 800m final, and Olympic medallists Nicola Olyslagers and Eleanor Patterson headline the women's high jump. Jessica Hull will be aiming to back up her 1500m success with victory in the women's 5000m final. Cameron Myers will also be aiming to complete the 1500m-5000m double when he competes in the men's final.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Gout Gout in sad development as athletics world erupts over wild finish-line drama
Gout Gout and Lachlan Kennedy's highly-anticipated 200m showdown has been thrown into doubt after Kennedy revealed he may not be able to compete on Sunday due to soreness. Kennedy was pipped by Rohan Browning in the 100m final at the Australian athletics championships on Saturday night, while Torrie Lewis won the women's event in an incredible three-way photo finish. Kennedy was expected to win the open 100m final, before turning his sights to the 200m for a blockbuster clash with Gout Gout. The 200m is the only event in which Kennedy and Gout go head-to-head because Gout competed in the Under-20 100m competition. Kennedy upstaged Gout in the 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet in Melbourne last month, and Gout would be keen for revenge in Perth. But Kennedy threw his participation into doubt on Saturday night when he pulled up sore after the 100m final. "I'm definitely sore, definitely a little tight, but we'll see how we pull up tomorrow," the 21-year-old said. "At this stage, I still want to do the (200m), but it's all about how the body feels after a night's sleep. "It will sort of be like a vibe thing, like how the body feels, how the legs feel. If they're feeling tight just walking around, I'll probably call it. I've got nothing to prove. It'll just be like, how I feel sort of thing." Browning had earlier warned Kennedy and Gout not to forget about him, and on Saturday night he showed he's back to the brilliant best that made him a household name at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021. In a thrilling photo finish, Browning posted an equal-PB of 10.01 (.001) to pip Kennedy's 10.01 (.006) in a race for the ages. Kennedy had posted a 10.00-flat in the heat, and was left disappointed not to become just the second Aussie to break the magical barrier with a legal time. He eased up slightly to preserve energy for the final, and in hindsight it cost him. "I'm sad I didn't crack 10," Kennedy said. "But there'll be plenty of opportunities to crack 10 down the line, so I'm not too stressed about it." Browning regained his mantle as Australia's 100m sprint champion, four years after he shot to international prominence in Tokyo. He famously beat Yohan Blake in the heats at the 2021 Olympics, but had fallen out of the national conversation recently due to injuries. Many critics thought we'd seen the last of Browning, but the 27-year-old showed he still has plenty left in the tank. "It felt like Tokyo all over again. It felt really smooth," Browning said after Saturday's thrilling win. "I knew not to get sucked into running Lachie's race, because he's going to get out well. I just had to focus on myself. There might have only been a handful of people in the stadium tonight that believed that was possible. And you know, you only need to believe in yourself." Wow. an extraordinary race in the women's 100 final!It's Torrie Lewis who takes it by four one-thousandths of a second after a TRIPLE photo finish 🤯 — 7Sport (@7Sport) April 12, 2025 There was even more drama in the women's 100m final as national record holder Lewis beat 17-year-old rising star Leah O'Brien and Bree Rizzo in a three-way photo-finish. It took several minutes for the winner to be determined because of his close the finish was, and Rizzo even crashed to the track after the line to add to the drama. In the end, Lewis recorded a time of 11.24 (.236), ahead of O'Brien's 11.24 (.240) and Rizzo (11.25). "I'm so happy," Lewis said after defending her national crown. "I just said to them, 'That was such a crazy race guys. I'm happy for both of you'. Whoever gets it, gets it." Athletics fans were blown away by the wild 100m finals, taking to social media in awe. It came as Olympic silver medallist Jessica Hull won the 1500m women's national title for the third year running, while 18-year-old rising star Cameron Myers (3:34.39) held on at the death in the men's 1500 to beat Adam Spencer (3:34.57) and Commonwealth Games gold medallist Oliver Hoare (3:34.61). That's an astoundingly good race. Kudos to Torrie but holy hell Leah O'Brien has had an amazing week!!! — Ben (@orca_chaser) April 12, 2025 Unbelievable race!! — Corey James (@CoreyJames33) April 12, 2025 How good is Australian athletics at the moment — Paige is Back (@MsPaige82) April 12, 2025 Kennedy, Browning, Gout looking good! — Ancient Tiger (@TigerAncient) April 12, 2025 Never in my lifetime has Athletics been in such a strong position in track and field. Love it!! — Nicho (@AJNicho15) April 12, 2025 with AAP
