2025 AUSTRALIAN OPEN AND U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS | PREVIEW

Following an era-defining curtain raiser at the junior portion of the Australian Athletics Championships, the nation’s best Open and Under 20 athletes will now follow suit when they go for gold at the WA Athletics Stadium from April 10-13.

In what is shaping up to be a historic Australian Athletics Championships, Australia’s golden contingent of Olympic and Paralympic stars will return to Perth for the Open and Under 20 Championships - the first time in 15 years.

Homegrown talent has dominated the national media cycle, and the Open events could be the same. The state's team will be headlined by Paris 2024 stars Kurtis Marschall, Rhiannon Clarke, and Alanah Yukich, with WA set to make the most of its home-field advantage.

Rhiannon Clarke will look to make history once again as she goes for her third consecutive triple track crown. Clarke has won the Open Women’s Para 100m, 200m and 400m titles in 2023 and 2024 and is in career-best form in 2025. Clarke is primed for the podium after breaking her 200m record and claiming two gold medals at the World Para Athletics Grand Prix in New Delhi.

Two time Olympian Kurtis Marschall has returned from the World Athletics Indoor Championships energised as he looks to join the exclusive 6m-Club. Marschall has enjoyed a slew of 5.80m jumps early in 2025 and will utilise the home crowd support as he goes for his seventh National title.

WA fan favourite Alanah Yukich will look to secure her first 400m Hurdles Open National title in Perth. The USA-based athlete has returned home over the summer and has enjoyed a busy start to 2025 with starts at multiple stops on the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.

Fresh off breaking the 57-year-old Australian Under 100m record, Leah O’Brien will return to the WA Athletics Stadium ready to take on the Open women. O’Brien impressed last year when she made it through to the Open 100m final in Adelaide. However, the West Aussie has found a new gear in 2025 following her 11.14 record. O’Brien will join podium hopefuls Olivia Dodds and Taylah Cruttenden on Friday for Round 1.

After an extended break from competing in his home state, Peter Bol will triumphantly return to the WA Athletics Stadium as he once again takes on the Men’s 800m. Up against up-and-comer Peyton Craig, Bol will finally get his chance to run in front of a home crowd with plenty of local supporters expected to cheer on the three-time Olympian.

Australian World Under 20 stars will also be in the mix, with many of the athletes stepping into the Open leagues. Robert Marchesi-Scott will go for gold in the Discus and Shot Put, while Alexandra Griffin will launch Day Two with a berth in the Women’s Open 10,000m Race Walk. Up-and-coming 400m star Amelia Rowe will again look to impress on home soil after delivering some incredible times across the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series.

Following electric times at the Perth Track Classic, all eyes will undoubtedly be on the Open Men and Women’s short track sprints. The fabled 200m rematch of Lachlan Kennedy and Gout Gout will close out the Championships, while Australia’s fastest men will look to dip below 10 seconds in the 100m.

The 2025 Australian Athletics Championships is the final stop of the Chemist Warehouse Summer Series and is supported by the WA Government through Tourism Western Australia, Venues West and Athletics West. 

Tickets can be purchased HERE. 

You can follow all the athletics action from the 2025 Chemist Warehouse Australian Athletics Championships via Athletics West’s Facebook and Instagram pages.  

For more information about how you can get started in athletics, contact Athletics West on 08 6272 0480 or email admin@athleticswest.com.au 

By David Smith