Trans-Tasman showdown to hit Lakeside Stadium | Teenage Blaze Torrie Lewis to face Kiwi Rival Zoe Hobbs at Maurie Plant Meet

Australia’s newly crowned fastest woman in history is set to ignite the night at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne, with teenager Torrie Lewis ready for a white-hot showdown against New Zealand’s sub-11 second sprinter Zoe Hobbs at Lakeside Stadium on February 15.

Fresh off clocking 11.10 at the ACT State Championships to surpass both Melissa Breen’s 11.11 Australian record and Raelene Boyle’s 11.20 Australian Under 20 record, the 19-year old is turning her attention to the 2024 Chemist Warehouse Summer Series – bound for Oceania’s only World Athletics Continental Tour Gold meet in Melbourne.

“The Maurie Plant Meet was one of the best meets I raced in last year. The crowd was so excited to be there and it was definitely one of the more interactive meets I’ve ever raced in,” Lewis said.

“It’s been a pretty crazy few days with all the excitement, but I’m keen to get back to work now and focus on breaking that record again.”

The sprint sensation will be challenged by Oceania record holder Zoe Hobbs (NZL), who owns a 10.96 personal best and last year set the fastest time ever run on Australian soil with a scintillating 10.97 performance at the Sydney Track Classic – shattering the 11-second barrier for the first time.

“It will be really fun to run against someone who has run sub-11, and hopefully I’ll be able to stick with her most of the way and she can pull me through. It would be so exciting to go lower and get the Olympic qualifier [11.07].,” Lewis said.

Trans-Tasman rival Hobbs has proven to be a regular highlight of the Australian summer circuit in recent years, with the classy competitor welcoming the competition as she makes the trip across the ditch.

“I’m looking forward to Melbourne’s Maurie Plant Meet in a couple weeks’ time. It’s one of few 100m races I will be competing in over this domestic season. I didn’t get to line up in last year’s event, but can’t wait to be in amongst the buzz of the event this year,” Hobbs said.

“Hats off to Torrie who has already kicked off the season setting the bar high. It's always exciting to see women in our sport smashing records and definitely makes for an exciting race.”

While Lewis has dominated the spotlight after her record-breaking feat, World Championships teammates and Commonwealth Games bronze medallists Ella Connolly and Bree Masters will be hot on her heels as the Australian sprinting scene rises as one, with the duo owning 11.25 and 11.23 personal bests respectively, with both igniting the track in 2024 with scorching performances this season. Connolly took down Olympic champion Sally Pearson’s Australian 60m record at the Illawarra Track Challenge, while Masters has shaken off the cobwebs already recording results as quick as a wind assisted 11.25.

Though surrounded by some of Australia’s best, Hobbs will be supported by 13 more Kiwi compatriots in nine events, adding to the Down Under rivalry at the Maurie Plant Meet. National record holders Tori Peeters (javelin), Hamish Kerr (high jump), Connor Bell (discus) and Rosie Elliott (200m), along with distance supremos Sam Tanner (mile) and James Preston (800m) will enter Lakeside Stadium, highlighting the strength of athletics in the Oceania region.

With the February 15 contest fast approaching, tickets for the Maurie Plant Meet are now on sale, offering fans an exclusive opportunity to witness history on the eve of the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Tickets can be purchased HERE.

The Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne is supported by World Athletics and the Victorian Government via Visit Victoria and part of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series. The meet will be streamed live and free on Seven’s digital platform, 7plus. 

By Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia
Posted: 1/2/2024