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The Melbourne Track Classic has been upgraded to Continental Tour Gold status and renamed in honour of the late and much-loved Maurie Plant, a longtime stalwart of Australian track and field.
The meet on February 23 at Lakeside Stadium will carry a prize money pool of more than $200,000 and an increase in world ranking points.
It is expected to attract many of the world's leading athletes.
The 13-meet Continental Tour Gold series is the second-highest level on the World Athletics calendar, sitting below only the Diamond League meets.
Plant, who died in early 2020 aged 66, was a highly-respected and popular figure in Australian and global athletics circles.
He performed a dizzying array of official and unofficial roles including as agent, meet promoter, commentator and confidante to the biggest names in the sport including Usain Bolt, Sally Pearson and Cathy Freeman.
"It would be a natural choice to name the Gold Level meet after the man, Maurie Plant, who means so much to not only the community of track and field but who was a major player in the success of many champions of the world," Freeman said on Wednesday.
"I was so pleased to hear that Maurie would be honoured in this way as he was a man who also meant so much to my success."
That sentiment was shared by Australian 1500m record holder Stewart McSweyn, who was managed by Plant until his death.
"It will be an absolute privilege to compete in a meet named in Maurie's honour," said McSweyn.
"He was such a positive, influential person for so many Australian athletes, particularly when travelling in Europe.
"I will never forget the times we shared, and I will always want to run in his meet."
The 2023 Maurie Plant Meet will take place less than a week after the world cross country championships in Bathurst.
