Sally Pearson of Australia celebrates victory in the women's 100 metres hurdles final (© Getty images - Bongarts)
Athletics Australia has today confirmed a team of 46 for the 2013 IAAF World Championships to be held in Moscow next month.
The team includes not only London 2012 medallists Sally Pearson and Jared Tallent but also 20 debutants competing for Australia at a major international championship for the first time.
The team is the second biggest ever to be sent to an IAAF World Championships by Athletics Australia behind only the 54 that competed in Seville in 1999. The team is one bigger than the Australian contingent sent to Daegu two years ago.
Athletes crowned national champions earlier this year that have since achieved at least an IAAF ‘B’ standard and earned automatic selection are Caitlin Sargent in the 400m, Alex Rowe in the 800m and Ben St Lawrence in the 10,000m.
Sargent and Rowe both achieved their qualifying marks earlier this month, with Sargent clocking 52.16 in the semi-final of the women’s 400m at the World University Games in Kazan and Rowe achieving a personal best of 1:45.44 in Oordegem. Both will compete individually for the first time at a senior global championship.
St Lawrence ran an IAAF ‘A’ standard of 27:37.55 in the 10,000m to secure his spot, having also been selected in the 5000m after he ran 13:10.83 for the distance in Huesden.
Joining St Lawrence on the discretionarily selected list as a consequence of achieving an ‘A’ standard are Melissa Breen in the 100m and 200m, Jackie Areson in the 5000m, Dani Samuels in the Discus, Collis Birmingham in the 10,000m, Fabrice Lapierre in the Long Jump and Benn Harradine in the Discus.
Additional athletes selected to join those previously confirmed to compete in the men’s 4x100m relay are Andrew McCabe, Nick Hough, Isaac Ntiamoah, while in the men’s 4x400m relay Craig Burns has been added.
At the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Australia placed eighth on the medals table with one gold from Pearson in the 100m Hurdles, one silver from Mitchell Watt in the Long Jump and one bronze from Jared Tallent in the 50km Race Walk.
Athletics Australia for the IAAF
AUSTRALIAN TEAM FOR MOSCOW
Men
200m: Josh Ross
800m: Alex Rowe
5000m: Brett Robinson, Ben St Lawrence
10,000m: Collis Birmingham, St Lawrence
Marathon: Martin Dent, Shawn Forrest
400m Hurdles: Tristan Thomas
High Jump: Brandon Starc
Long Jump: Fabrice Lapierre
Discus: Ben Harradine, Julian Wruck
Javelin: Hamish Peacock
20km Race Walk: Dane Bird-Smith Rhydian Cowley
50km Race Walk: Chris Erickson, Ian Rayson, Jared Tallent
4x100m: Jarrod Geddes, Nick Hough, Tim Leathart, Andrew McCabe, Isaac Ntiamoah, Ross
4x400m: Alex Beck, Craig Burns, Ben Offereins, Joshua Ralph, Steven Solomon, Thomas
Women
100m: Melissa Breen
200m: Breen
400m: Caitlin Sargent
800m: Kelly Hetherington
1500m: Zoe Buckman
5000m: Jackie Areson
10,000m: Lara Tamsett
Marathon: Nikki Chapple, Jane Fardell, Lauren Shelley, Jess Trengrove
100m Hurdles: Sally Pearson
400m Hurdles: Lauren Boden
Pole Vault: Alana Boyd
Discus: Dani Samuels
Javelin: Kim Mickle, Kathryn Mitchell
20km Race Walk: Tanya Holliday, Regan Lamble, Jess Rothwell
