Burgess and Howe Given Time to Prove Fitness

WAIS
athletes Paul Burgess and Kym Howe have had the door to Beijing jarred
open after the Australian Olympic Committee confirmed the pair would be
given extra time to prove their form and fitness after missing the
recent Australian Selection Trials through injury.

Burgess
28 and Howe 27 have both recorded A qualifying jumps in their pole
vault field but missed the chance to book their spots to Beijing via the national championships with Achilles tendon and shoulder injuries respectively.

Burgess will be looking to compete in his third Olympics after representing Australia at Sydney and Athens.
He injured his Achilles tendon last November and has been undergoing
treatment since, which has seen him back in daily training recently.

Howe
is aiming at her second Olympics in succession but has been hampered by
a shoulder complaint which required surgery just weeks prior. Howe’s
prognosis is not yet known, but it is believed she will be fit in time
to press her claims for selection.

Both athletes will
need to be back and competing by mid June in a bid to prove their form
and fitness, with the decision made in recognition of their experience
and past high performance.