Australians going global as preparation for Beijing steps up

Len Johnson

CRAIG Mottram is doing high-altitude training in Arizona; Jana Rawlinson is in the US for a couple of early-season races before basing herself in England for the European season; Nathan Deakes and his walking colleagues are in London preparing for next week's World Walking Cup in Russia.

As ever, there are almost as many preparation plans as there are athletes in Australia's track and field team. It could hardly be otherwise in the most disparate of Olympic sports. All the plans have a common goal, however: to produce a peak performance in Beijing in August.

With 100 days to go until the Games' opening ceremony (and another seven to the first day of track and field competition), the Games are coming into sharper focus. Some of the walkers have already competed at the Olympic venue, walker Jared Tallent winning the men's 20 kilometres at a test event in the week the stadium known as the "Bird's Nest" was officially opened.

A few more - including discus thrower Dani Samuels - will compete in a full track and field test event next month. Samuels, who turns 20 on May 26, will know Beijing better than most. She won a gold medal at the world junior championships there in 2006, held at the same time the Olympics will be, although in a different stadium.

Sprinters Josh Ross, Daniel Batman and Patrick Johnson and 400 metres runners Clinton Hill and Sean Wroe are also among those entered for the Good Luck Beijing test event, along with a development squad from the NSW Institute of Sport.

Twenty-five athletes were named for the Beijing team after the national championships and selection trials. Marathoners - Lee Troop, Benita Johnson and Kate Smyth head the qualifiers - will be added next month, and a group of 14 athletes have been given more time either to demonstrate their fitness or attain the selection standards. Collis Birmingham has recently run an A-standard at 5000 metres and is racing over 10,000 in the US this weekend.

Australia is also among the top 16 nations qualified for...... READ MORE

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