Australia Selection Trials begin in Brisbane

The road to the 2008 Beijing Olympiad enters its home straight with the Australian Athletic Championships starting today at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre in Brisbane.

Australian and international track and field stars will give their all across a host of pulsating events, with the championships doubling as the Australian Olympic Committee’s Selection Trials for the Beijing games.

WAIS will be represented in Brisbane by many of its brightest stars including Kylie Wheeler (heptathlon), Steve Hooker (pole vault), Ellen Pettitt (high jump), Kim Mickle (javelin) and Vicky Parnov (pole vault).

To achieve nomination for Beijing, athletes must earn two A-standard Olympic qualifiers and win their respective national championship. Steve Hooker has already earned pre-selection for Beijing, whilst Kylie Wheeler needs only to claim her heptathlon national title to stamp her passport having already posted two A-standard competition results.

Also in action over the weekend will be 2006 Commonwealth Games hero John Steffenson, making his competitive return to the track after being hamstrung for the last six months. Steffenson will start as favourite in the men’s 400 metres event but will face pressure in arguably the most anticipated event of the Championships against Sean Wroe and Joel Milburn.

SBS will televise a highlights package from the meet on Sunday from 11am to 12:30pm.

Download the Selection Trial Event List