READ MORE:<\/strong> Fijian flyer finds new NRL home\ufeff<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n READ MORE:<\/strong> Aussie joins golf's mega-elite on prizemoney list\ufeff<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Athletics Australia had hoped to attract box-office athletes down under after the Maurie Plant Meet joined the Continental Tour Gold series, which is one rung below the Diamond League series.<\/p>\n The event, named in honour of Australian athletics stalwart \ufeffMaurie Plant, will offer $200,000 in prizemoney and higher world ranking points than its predecessor, the Melbourne Track Classic.<\/p>\n The upgrade has enticed Kerley to enter the Peter Norman Memorial 200m.<\/p>\n "I am excited to start my season in Australia and I will also use this as a training base for the upcoming season," the 27-year-old Kerley said.<\/p>\n "I have competed in all the other continents and I am excited to get the opportunity to compete in Australia.<\/p>\n "Also, it is nice to open my season with the 200m because I got injured in the 200m semi-finals at the world championships.<\/p>\n "All in all, I am excited to come and show my talent to the Australian people."<\/p>\n Kerley has a 100m personal best of 9.76 seconds, 200m PB of 19.76 and 400m PB of 43.64.<\/p>\n He pipped fellow American Marven Bracey for gold in last year's world championships 100m, which followed a silver-medal run behind Italy's Lamont Jacobs in the\ufeff Tokyo Olympics 100m.<\/p>\n The 25-year-old Browning, who\ufeff will join fellow Australians Calab Law and Aidan Murphy in the 200m, hyped up the showdown.<\/p>\n "Let's just say that if I was a Melbourne-based sports fan, I wouldn't be missing this," Browning said.<\/p>\n "Hopefully the big match-ups will draw big crowds.<\/p>\n "Any 'fit' parent in Melbourne will be taking their kids to Lakeside (Stadium) on the evening of the 23rd of February!"<\/p>\n Browning has a 200m PB of \ufeff20.71, Law 20.42 and Murphy 20.41.<\/p>\n Law said he was\ufeff thrilled to face Kerley at Albert Park.<\/p>\n "It gives us more exposure to the rest of the world and he is the best in the world at the moment, so it's going to be fun," the 19-year-old Law said.<\/p>\n "We get to measure our speed against him and I will be doing everything I can to beat him.<\/p>\n "It's just such a great opportunity for athletes at my stage of development to get to run against the best sprinter in the world."\ufeff<\/p>\n For a daily dose of the best of the breaking news and exclusive content from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by<\/strong><\/em> clicking here<\/strong><\/em><\/a>!<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
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