Pekin Set for World Champs Debut

Western Australian Institute of Sport athlete Lyndsay Pekin has been officially confirmed to compete at the 2015 IAAF Athletics World Championships in Beijing in the women’s 4x400m relay.

Pekin and the Australian relay squad had an anxious wait for an official IAAF deadline, to determine the 16 fastest qualifying nations for the four lap team event in China.

With Australia inside the top 16 nations, it was a nervous wait to see if Australia’s time would be pipped by another nation, with the deadline reached this week, the girls received the good news that their time was within the qualification pool, with Athletics Australia immediately ratifying their selection for World Championships.

Pekin was a member of the Australian team at last year’s Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and earlier this year, she travelled to the Bahamas, where Australia qualified its relay team berth for next year’s Rio Olympic Games at the IAAF World Relay Championships.

This month’s titles will be Pekin’s first exposure at senior World Championship level, and she thanked her coach, family and partner for helping her to the milestone.

“Officially selected for my first World Championships. Special thanks to my coach Lyn Foreman, my parents and Chris – every single day they help me to achieve my goals. Bring on Beijing,” she told her followers on social media.

Pekin and the Australian women’s relay squad have travelled to Japan, where they will contest a grand prix event this weekend, before joining with the Australian Flame team for final preparations before the World Championships begin on August 22.