Jared Tallent (AUS) (© Getty Images)
Race Walkers Jared Tallent and Adam Rutter have been chosen for nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee for selection into the Australian team for the 2008 Olympic Games, as a result of their outstanding efforts at the Australian 50km Road Walking Championships on the weekend.
The Australian Institute of Sport duo will make their Olympic debut, and will join Nathan Deakes, who has already been chosen for nomination for the 50km walk event courtesy of his stellar gold medal winning performance at the World Championships in Osaka earlier this year.
Tallent, 23, secured automatic nomination after taking out the national title in an A-qualifier of 3:44:45. Smashing his personal best by more than ten minutes, the Ballarat athlete produced the third-fastest time ever by an Australian to reserve his spot in the team. The winning time was the 11th fastest in the world this year and is a strong indicator of his potential at next year’s Olympic Games.
The selectors used their discretion to nominate Rutter, who made his debut over the gruelling 50km distance on Sunday. Impressing the selection committee, the 20-year-old from Sydney crossed the line in second place, easily going under the A-qualifying time by more than seven minutes in 3:52:49.
To date, seven Australian athletes have been chosen for Olympic nomination:
Jana Rawlinson (400m hurdles), Nathan Deakes (50km walk), Craig Mottram (5000m), Steve Hooker (pole vault), Luke Adams (20km walk), Jared Tallent (50km walk) and Adam Rutter (50km walk).
All of these athletes will be nominated to the Australia Olympic Committee on 4 July 2008 along with any other athletes chosen according to the terms of Athletics Australia's Nomination Policy between now and that date.
Athletics Australia
