Kealey bound for Beijing – Athletics Australia – NEWS – Kealey’s inclusion takes the Australian track and field team to 37.

Queenslander Mitchell Kealey is the latest addition to Australia’s track and field team for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, nominated for selection in the men’s 1500m after a breakthrough performance in Oslo last weekend.

Kealey recorded a new personal best and his first ‘A’ qualifying performance (3:36.21) at the IAAF Golden League meeting, elevating him to the 10th fastest Australian of all-time in the men’s 1500m.

The 24-year-old recorded his first ‘B’ qualifier (3:37.65) at the Sydney Grand Prix in February and was crowned national champion at the Australian Championships in Brisbane in March. He continued his impressive form on the international circuit posting a second ‘B’ qualifier in Doha in May, clocking 3:38.69.

Selectors named Kealey in the list of athletes they were interested in watching over the months following the initial team selection.  His performances since this initial announcement along with his potential for success at the 2012 London Olympics have convinced selectors of his nomination.

Kealey’s inclusion takes the Australian track and field team to 37.

Additional ‘in-stadium’ event selections can be made at any time between now and the final selectors’ meeting on June 23. All nominated athletes will be assessed against their ongoing obligations as 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.

Meanwhile, a number of Beijing bound athletes will compete at the Ostrava Grand Prix in the Czech Republic tonight, including multiple Australian record holder Benita Johnson, world indoor champion Tamsyn Lewis and Australian javelin record holder Jarrod Bannister.

Johnson, already nominated for the marathon in Beijing, will contest the 10,000m in Ostrava in an attempt to record a time that will leave the door open for either event at the Games in August.

Johnson briefly returned to Australia last week to attend the funeral of her father, Tony Willis, who tragically passed away whilst she was competing in New York after losing the battle with a degenerative neurological disease.

She returned to her training base in London on the weekend, and with the encouragement and support of Sonia O’Sullivan who has been helping her to prepare over the last week, will endeavour to chase down the A standard of 31:45 tonight.

Lewis, racing in the women’s 800m, will be looking to improve on recent performances and regain some of the form she showed during the Australian athletics season and world indoor championships earlier this year.

Bannister will gain further international experience in the men’s javelin after facing a series of tough competitions in the past month.

Australian athletes selected for nomination into the 2008 Australian Olympic Games team
(as at June 12, 2008)

Men

400m:                          Joel Milburn (21,NSW), John Steffensen (25,WA), Sean Wroe (23,VIC)
800m:                          Lachlan Renshaw (21,NSW)
1500m:                        Mitchell Kealey (24, QLD)
5000m:                        Craig Mottram (27,VIC), Collis Birmingham (23,VIC)
4x400m:                       Milburn (NSW), Steffensen (WA), Wroe (VIC) Dylan Grant (19,QLD), Clinton Hill (27,ACT)
20km walk:                   Luke Adams (31,NSW), Jared Tallent (23,VIC), Chris Erickson (26,VIC)
50km walk:                   Nathan Deakes (30,VIC), Adam Rutter (21,NSW), Tallent (VIC)
Marathon:                    Lee Troop (35,VIC)
Pole vault:                    Steven Hooker (25,WA)
Shot put:                     Justin Anlezark (30,QLD), Scott Martin (25,VIC)
Javelin:                        Jarrod Bannister (23,QLD)
Discus:                        Benn Harradine (25,VIC)

Women

400m:                          Tamsyn Lewis (29, VIC)
800m:                          Lewis (VIC), Madeleine Pape (23,VIC)
1500m:                        Lisa Corrigan (23,ACT), Sarah Jamieson (33,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), Jane Saville (33, NSW)
Marathon:                   Benita Johnson (29,VIC), Kate Smyth (35,VIC) Lisa-Jane Weightman (27,VIC)
Pole vault:                  Alana Boyd (23,QLD)
Long jump:                  Bronwyn Thompson (30,QLD)
Discus:                       Dani Samuels (19,NSW)
Heptathlon:                 Kylie Wheeler (28,WA)