Mottram and Hooker head indoors for world title chase

A strong six-member team led by Craig Mottram and Steve Hooker has been selected to represent Australia in the 12th edition of the IAAF World Indoor Championships next month.

Mottram (3000m) and Hooker (pole vault) will be joined by Sally McLellan (60m hurdles and 60m), Tamsyn Lewis (800m), Scott Martin (shot put), Sean Wroe (400m) and a men’s 4 x 400m relay team in Valencia, Spain from March 7–9.

Mottram possesses the second fastest indoor 3000m time in the world this year (7:34.50), after breaking his own national record and producing the fastest ever indoor 3000m on US soil in Boston three weeks ago.

The two Ethiopians who will be taking on Buster over 5000m at the World Athletics Tour meet in Melbourne on February 21, are positioned either side of him on the leaderboard. Competing indoors in Stuttgart, Tariku Bekele produced this year’s fastest time of 7:31.09, with Abreham Feleke stamping a new World Junior best of 7:38.03 at the same meet.

Mottram, 27, has represented Australia once before at the World Indoors, stopping the clock in 7:48.34 to place eighth in Lisbon in 2001.

Steve Hooker’s 2008 Beijing campaign kicked off with a bang two weeks ago, clearing the magical six-metre mark for the first time – only the 15th man in history to do so.

His indoor escapades early last year resulted in a new Australian indoor record of 5.81m in Boston and 5.80m at the Millrose Games in New York. The 25 year-old will be making his debut at the World Indoors in 2008. Russian Yevgeniy Lukyanenko launched himself 5.85m last week and currently leads the world’s best list.

Experienced World Indoors campaigner Tamsyn Lewis will be donning the green and gold for the third time in Valencia – positioned one spot behind Kerry Saxby-Junna who sits atop the Australian list with four appearances.

Lewis, who collected a silver medal in 1999 with the women’s 4 x 400m relay team, has previously finished fourth (2:04.79 - 2001) and sixth (2:02.42 - 1999) in the semi-finals of the 800m.

The 29 year-old remains undefeated in 2008 and already has four Beijing A-qualifiers credited to her name.

The in-form Sally McLellan, Scott Martin and Sean Wroe will all be making their debut on the World Indoors stage.

Although McLellan has never raced on an indoor track, she will have the long standing national 60m (7.32 - Dianne Holden, 1987) and 60m hurdles (8.25 – Glynis Nunn, 1986) records in her sights in Valencia.

The Gold Coast athlete has only lined up on the blocks for the 60m hurdles on a handful of occasions, recording 8.07 outdoors on the Gold Coast this year, and will face strong opposition from Swede Susanna Kallur who clocked 7.72 on the weekend in Stuttgart.

McLellan has a best of 7.28w for the flat 60m, after three attempts at the shorter distance.

After heaving a new personal best of 20.63m, Martin will be hoping his promising form continues for the next month whilst Wroe will contest his first 400m of the year at the Victorian Championships this weekend.

Members of the men’s 4 x 400m relay team will be finalised in the near future.

Held every two years since 1985, three Australians have won gold at the World Indoors; Mike Hillardt (1500m) in 1985, Melinda Gainsford-Taylor (200m) in 1995 and Kerry Saxby-Junna (3000m walk) in 1989.

Team Australia
2008 IAAF World Indoor Championships
Valencia, Spain
March 7-9, 2008

Craig Mottram VIC (3000m)
Steve Hooker VIC (pole vault)
Scott Martin VIC (Shot Put)
Sally McLellan QLD (60m hurdles and 60m)
Tamsyn Lewis VIC (800m)
Sean Wroe VIC (400m)
Men's 4x400m relay - individuals to be announced shortly

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