Mucci, Amidzovski feature in Maurie Plant showdown

The current and future stars of Australian sprint hurdling are set for a Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne showcase, led by Olympic stars Michelle Jenneke and Celeste Mucci, and joined by dual World Under 20 medallist Delta Amidzovski (NSWIS/pictured) and Japan’s Yumi Tanaka on March 29.

 Lakeside Stadium will host the Women’s 100m Hurdles among an action-packed program at the World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level meet, with the international affair looming as one of the most competitive races of the night.

Jenneke sits at number two on the Australian all-time list behind only Olympic champion and athletics icon Sally Pearson, but with New South Wales Institute of Sport scholarship holder Mucci sitting in fourth place and Amidzovski (NSWIS) on the rise – the Melbourne contest is wide open for the taking.

 Suffering an injury at the Paris Olympic Games, the March 29 meet marks Jenneke’s return to competition after the most challenging setback of her career:

 “I’ve competed at the Maurie Plant meet for the past two years and there’s always such a great atmosphere there, so I’m very excited to be coming back again. This year is a little different for me as it will be my season opener off the back of a pretty big injury less than eight months ago,” Jenneke said.

 “I underwent surgery to reattach my hamstring less than a week after returning home from the Olympics. I was in a knee brace with crutches and unable to walk for the first six weeks and had about 5kg of muscle loss due to atrophy over that period.”

 At just 18-years-old,​Amidzovski has already won World Under 20 gold and bronze in the long jump and 100m hurdles respectively last year in Lima – now pushing to challenge her Open age competitors in 2025 as idols turn to rivals in her final year as an Under 20 athlete.

 “It’s always an incredible experience getting to line up alongside Olympians and Australia’s top Open female hurdlers, all athletes that I continue to admire,” Amidzovski said.

 “Competing at the Maurie Plant Meet is a special opportunity, especially with last year’s crowd bringing such phenomenal energy. I’m looking forward to racing again this year on such a prestigious stage.”

 It’s not just the Australians that Amidzovski will test her skills again. Japan’s Tanaka owns the second fastest personal best in the field with 12.83, behind Jenneke’s 12.65 and narrowly ahead of Mucci’s 12.84, while her compatriot Hitomi Nakajima has also shattered the 13-second barrier with a time of 12.99.

 And while Jenneke may be the seasoned veteran on paper, the 31-year-old is confident that she can flourish later in her career, beginning with a big win in Melbourne:

 “I’ve been very lucky to have achieved a lot in this sport already but I think I still have some more to give. Before the Olympics I got myself into by far the fastest shape I’ve ever been in, but I wasn’t able to demonstrate all the work we had done,” Jenneke said.

 A World Athletics Continental Tour Gold level meet, the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne is the only meet of this level within the Oceania region, sitting just below the Diamond League in status on the global athletics calendar.  The meet is part of Australia’s premier athletics tour, the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series, and is supported by the Victorian Government through its Significant Sporting Events Program. Tickets can be purchased HERE. 

Story: Sascha Ryner, Australian Athletics