Ballarat athlete Collis Birmingham will join Craig Mottram on the 5000m start line in Beijing, after being chosen for nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee for selection into the Australian team for the 2008 Olympic Games.

The selectors used their discretion in naming the rapidly developing 23-year-old, who was rewarded for a quality string of performances over the last eighteen months.

He was selected for nomination after a stellar performance at the Mt SAC Relays in California two weeks ago. Birmingham snuck under the A-standard in a personal best time of 13:21.12 to easily take out the men's invitational 5000m, his nearest rival more than 40 metres behind.

It was Birmingham's first A-qualifier, after producing a 'B' at the World Athletics Tour meet in Melbourne (13:27:31) earlier in the year as part of an impressive domestic season which saw him win the national title at 10km and produce an impressive 1500m personal best at the Sydney Grand Prix in February (also a B-qualifier).

Having represented Australia at three IAAF World Cross Country Championships, the Victorian Institute of Sport athlete will be making his debut on the Olympic stage in Beijing.

Athletics Australia High Performance Manager Max Binnington was full of praise for the new addition.

“Collis has shown terrific form this year,” Binnington said. “Winning convincingly by more than seven seconds, his race in the United States backed up what he did this season.”

“One of our most promising up and coming athletes, Collis has displayed great potential for the future.”

Birmingham’s selection for nomination was part of an ongoing process being undertaken by the selectors who are monitoring the performances of athletes between now and the final selectors’ meeting on June 23. Decisions may be made between now and the final selectors’ meeting on a case-by-case basis.

Those in contention for the marathon, have the opportunity to be selected for nomination when the selector’s meet on May 19.

All nominated athletes will be assessed against their ongoing obligations set out in the nomination policy at the final selectors’ meeting. Those obligations include pre-Olympic form and fitness. Following that assessment, the list of final nominations will be sent to the Australian Olympic Committee on July 4.

Australian athletes selected for nomination into the
2008 Australian Olympic Games team as at May 1, 2008

Men

400m: Joel Milburn (21, NSW), John Steffensen (25, WA), Sean Wroe (23, VIC)

800m: Lachlan Renshaw (21, NSW)

5000m: Craig Mottram (27, VIC), Collis Birmingham (23, VIC)

4x400m: Joel Milburn (NSW), John Steffensen (WA), Sean Wroe (VIC) Dylan Grant (19, QLD), Clinton Hill (27, ACT)

20km walk: Luke Adams (31, NSW), Jared Tallent (23, VIC)

50km walk: Nathan Deakes (30, VIC), Adam Rutter (21, NSW), Jared Tallent (VIC)

Pole vault: Steven Hooker (25, WA)

Shot put: Scott Martin (25, VIC)

Javelin: Jarrod Bannister (23, QLD)

Women

400m: Tamsyn Lewis (29, VIC)

800m: Tamsyn Lewis (VIC), Madeleine Pape (23, VIC)

100m hurdles: Sally McLellan (21, QLD)

400m hurdles: Jana Rawlinson (25, NSW)

3000m steeplechase: Donna MacFarlane (30, TAS)

20km walk: Kellie Wapshott (26, VIC), Claire Woods (26, SA)

Pole vault: Alana Boyd (23, QLD)

Long jump: Bronwyn Thompson (30, QLD)

Discus: Dani Samuels (19, NSW)

Heptathlon: Kylie Wheeler (28, WA)