Australian Athletics Tour Schedule Announced

The 2012 Australian Athletics Tour schedule has been announced with Perth set to host Australia’s best track and field stars on February 11.

The 2012 Australian Athletics Tour will start in Adelaide (28 January) then head to Perth (11 February) and Sydney (18 February) before finishing in Melbourne (2-3 March), which will also see the Olympic nomination trials incorporated into the IAAF World Challenge.

With the Flame’s leading athletes all expected to compete, as part of their Olympic nomination criteria, Australian fans can expect to see recently named World Athlete of the Year Sally Pearson joined by reigning Olympic champion and WAIS athleteSteve Hooker(WA), 2011 Samsung Diamond League winnerMitchell Watt(Qld) and Commonwealth championsJarrod Bannister(Vic),Alana Boyd(WA),Benn Harradine(Vic) andFabrice Lapierre(NSW).

Six time national javelin champion and WAIS scholarship holder Kim Mickle will be looking for another strong performance in front of a home crowd, as she builds towards her London 2012 campaign, having already been nominated for early selection from Athletics Australia.

Pearson, who won her world championship gold in a record time of 12.28, said: “You’re going to be seeing great athletics because everyone is striving to make it onto the Olympic team so there will be some amazing performances produced on the track.

“I think it’s going to be a very motivational and inspirational season with a lot of juniors coming through as well. There’s no better place to see your heroes than at the Australian Athletics Tour, to see us up close and personal.”

-AthleticsAustralia