A strong team has been selected to represent Australia in the 12th edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month including female athletes Sally McLellan (60m Hurdles and 60m), Tamsyn Lewis (800m)in Valencia, Spain from March 7 – 9.
Experienced World Indoors campaigner Tamsyn Lewis will be donning the green and gold for the third time in Valencia – positioned one spot behind Kerry Saxby-Junna who sits atop the Australian list with four appearances.
Lewis, who collected a silver medal in 1999 with the women’s 4 x 400m relay team, has previously finished fourth (2:04.79 – 2001) and sixth (2:02.42 - 1999) in the semi finals of the 800m.
The 29-year-old remains undefeated in 2008 and already has four Beijing A-qualifiers credited to her name.
The in-form Sally McLellan, will all be making her debut on the World Indoors stage.
Although McLellan has never raced on an indoor track, she will have the long standing national 60m (7.32 - Dianne Holden 1987) and 60m hurdles (8.25 – Glynis Nunn 1986) records in her sights in Valencia.
The Gold Coast athlete has only lined up on the blocks for the 60m hurdles on a handful of occasions, recording 8.07 outdoors on the Gold Coast this year, and will face strong opposition from Swede Susanna Kallur who clocked 7.72 on the weekend in Stuttgart.
McLellan has a best of 7.28w for the flat 60m, after three attempts at the shorter distance
Held every two years since1985, three Australians have won gold at the World Indoors; Mike Hillardt (1500m) in 1985, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (200m) in 1995 and Kerry Saxby-Junna (3000m walk) in 1989.
Team Australia
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
Valencia, Spain
March 7 – 9, 2008
Tamsyn Lewis VIC (800m)
Sally McLellan QLD (60m Hurdles and 60m)
