30.06.2009

Watch out Europe, here comes Sally

With less than 50 days to go until the commencement of the world championships, Olympic silver medallist Sally McLellan has declared she’s stronger than ever and can't wait to pit herself up against the world's elite over the next two months.

The 22-year-old departs for Europe tomorrow, where a gruelling pre-world championships schedule of nine competitions in 26 days awaits, kicking off with Sotteville, France on July 5.

 

McLellan, who just missed the final in Osaka two years ago, is confident that she will make an impact in Berlin.

“My goals are to just to make the final and do a personal best this season," said McLellan, who set a lifetime best of 12.53sec in Monaco last year.

“I’m not putting any pressure on myself being an Olympic silver medallist going into the world championships.

“If I make the final anything can happen, as it did in the Olympics. I’m feeling pretty confident this year though."

McLellan is looking forward to the challenge of competing against the best 100m hurdlers in the world, none more so than Olympic gold medallist Dawn Harper who captured her first-ever USA national title on the weekend.

Assisted by a 2.2 m/s tailwind, Harper clocked 12.36 seconds, the fourth-fastest time ever by an American under any conditions.

"It's going to be hard work for me, but it's really exciting for Dawn to run 12.36 with probably the best conditions around at the moment with a 2.2m tailwind," continued McLellan.

"She's going to be a hard one to beat but I think I'll be a hard one to beat as well because I'm stronger than I ever have been."

One notable absentee from the world championships will be American Lola Jones, the pre-Olympic favourite, who tripped in the Beijing final and faded to seventh.

Jones injured her hamstring two weeks ago, and entered the cut throat US trials underdone. Misfortune arose once again and she crashed into the fourth hurdle and failed to finish her semi-final.

Joining Harper in the formidable US team will be reigning world champion Michelle Perry, Ginnie Powell and Olympic Games fourth-place finisher Damu Cherry.

However McLellan expects the Jamaicans and the Canadians, led by Priscilla Lopes-Schliep who has the fastest time in the world of 12.52 this year, will be just as strong.

The Queenslander will have one final hitout on home soil today on the Gold Coast, before she flies to Europe on Wednesday.

McLellan has competed nearly every weekend on her home track, running 12.92 and 13.03 respectively in the last ten days.

“I don’t have as much competition as the Americans may have, so I find it really difficult.

“That’s why I’m not too disappointed with some of my times because I’m only running against the clock and against myself.

“Those girls aren’t running much faster than me, with competition and good conditions, so it’s quite exciting to see what’s going to happen.”

McLellan has earnt her stripes as one of the 'must have' athletes of the European summer, meet organisers eager to have her name on their start lists.

She will compete at the Rome (July 10) and Paris (July 17) Golden League meets, along with four Super Grand Prix meets, Lausanne (July 7), London (July 24/25), Monaco (July 28) and Stockholm (July 31).

"Last year the problem was that I didn't get enough competitions in before the Olympics.

"It's the same amount of racing that I did last year but it's put into a shorter amount of time."

McLellan will finalise her preparations at the Australian team camp in Cologne, Germany ahead the heats of the women's 100m hurdles which will be held in Berlin on August 18.