World Champion Fred Kerley takes on Australian Rohan Browning in the Melbourne Sprint Showdown

Reigning 100m world champion Fred Kerley will compete in a delicious sprint match against flying Australian Rohan Browning at next month’s Maurie Plant meeting in Melbourne.

The powerhouse American, who ranks sixth on the all-time 100-meter list with a PB of 9.76 seconds and won gold at last year’s world titles in Eugene, will start his 2023 campaign in the 200-meter dash at Lakeside Stadium open.

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His competitors include Browning and rising Australian half-lap stars Calab Law and Aidan Murphy.

“I’m looking forward to starting my season in Australia and will also use this as a training base for the upcoming season,” said Kerley.

“I’ve competed on every other continent and look forward to the opportunity to compete in Australia.

“Also, it’s nice to start my season with the 200m because I injured myself in the 200m semi-finals at the World Championships.”

27-year-old Kerley’s impressive resume includes two gold medals at World Championships, silver in the 100m at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics and two Diamond League titles.

He is also one of only three men – along with South African Wayde van Niekerk and fellow American Michael Norman – to have broken the 10-second mark in the 100m, under 20 seconds in the 200m and under 44 in the 400m seconds has passed.

Unlike Kerley, Browning, 25, will double in the 100m and 200m at the Maurie Plant Meet on February 23.

‘Can an Australian cause a surprise?’ thought Browning.

“I’d like to believe that.

“Damien Marsh, Monaco 1995 (when the Queenslander won the final of the IAAF 100m Grand Prix against all odds) comes to mind.

“Let’s just say if I were a sports fan from Melbourne I wouldn’t miss this.”

It will be a second meeting with Kerley for reigning Australian champion Murphy after they were drawn in the same opening 200m heat at last year’s world titles.

Kerley won that race before retiring in the semifinals after suffering a quadriceps injury.

But such is the United States’ global dominance at the event that Noah Lyles still headlined a clean American victory for the medals in Oregon.

– AAP