22.05.2009

Women's 4 x 400m relay team selected for Berlin

Australia will be represented by three relay teams at the 2009 IAAF world championships in Berlin, following the selection of the women’s 4 x 400m relay squad for the August event.
 
Debutants Jody Henry (WA), Madeleine Pape (Vic), Caitlin Pincott (Qld) and Pirrenee Steinert (NSW) will join the previously selected Tamsyn Lewis (400m/400m hurdles) and Jana Rawlinson (400m hurdles) in the women’s 4 x 400m relay team for the 12th edition of the world championships to be staged from August 15 – 23.
 
Their inclusion increases the size of the Australian team to 48 members, with further ‘in stadium’ selections to be made ahead of the final selectors’ meeting on July 19.
 
They join the men’s 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m relay teams, who are already bound for Berlin.
 
Australia has not been represented by a women’s 4 x 400m relay team in a world championships campaign since the Seville world titles in 1999.
 
The selection of the women’s 4 x 400m squad follows their outstanding performance at the Osaka Grand Prix in Japan earlier this month, where Steinert, Pape, Henry and Lewis easily reached the required world championships qualifying time of 3:31.00, producing a swift 3.28.97 for the four laps.
 
In other news, the Australian team for the 2009 World University Games in Belgrade has been finalised following the final round of selections.

West Australians Henry (100m) and Megan Wheatley (heptathlon) have been given the nod, bringing the total team size to 38 for the 25th edition of the ‘Universiade’ to be held from July 1 – 12.
 
Additionally, Chris Troode (WA) has been selected in the individual 400m, Brendan Cole (ACT) and Lachlan Renshaw (NSW) have been added to the men’s 4x400m relay and Dale Stevenson (VIC) will now contest both the men’s shot put and discus.
 
Click here to read the final team announcement article for the 2009 World University Games.
 
Australian athletes selected for the 2009 Australian world championships team (as at May 22, 2009):
 
Men (30)

400m: Joel Milburn (23, NSW), John Steffensen (26, NSW), Sean Wroe (24, Vic)

1500m: Jeff Riseley (22, Vic), Jeremy Roff (25, NSW)

5000m: Collis Birmingham (24, Vic)

10000m: David McNeill (22, Vic), Birmingham

400m hurdles: Tristan Thomas (22, Tas)

3000m steeplechase: Youcef Abdi (31, NSW)

20km walk: Luke Adams (32, NSW), Adam Rutter (22, NSW), Jared Tallent (24, Vic)

50km walk: Adams, Nathan Deakes (31, Vic), Chris Erickson (27, Vic), Tallent

Marathon: Martin Dent (30, ACT), Andrew Letherby (35, Vic), Mark Tucker (29, Vic), Scott Westcott (33, NSW)

Pole vault: Paul Burgess (29, WA), Steven Hooker (26, WA)

Long jump: Fabrice Lapierre (25, NSW), Mitchell Watt (20, Qld)

Triple jump: Alwyn Jones (24, Vic)

Shot put: Justin Anlezark (31, Qld)

Javelin throw: Jarrod Bannister (24, Qld)

4 x 100m relay: Anthony Alozie (22, Vic), Matt Davies (23, Qld), Patrick Johnson (36, Qld), Joshua Ross (28, Vic), Aaron Rouge-Serret (21, Vic)

4 x 400m relay: Milburn, Steffensen, Thomas, Wroe

Women (18)

100m: Melissa Breen (18, ACT)

400m: Tamsyn Lewis (30, Vic)

1500m: Sarah Jamieson (33, Vic)

100m hurdles: Sally McLellan (22, Qld)

400m hurdles: Lewis, Jana Rawlinson (26, NSW)

3000m steeplechase: Donna MacFarlane (31, Tas)

20km walk: Jessica Rothwell (19, Vic), Claire Tallent (27, SA), Cheryl Webb (32, NSW)

Marathon: Lisa Weightman (30, Vic)

High jump: Petrina Price (24, NSW)

Pole vault: Alana Boyd (24, Qld)

Discus throw: Dani Samuels (20, NSW)

Javelin throw: Kimberley Mickle (24, WA)

4 x 400m relay: Lewis, Rawlinson, Jodie Henry (24, WA), Madeleine Pape (25, Vic), Caitlin Pincott (26, Qld), Pirrenee Steinert (24, NSW)
                  
All selected athletes will be required to prove their pre-world championships form and fitness ahead of the final selectors’ meeting. Additional ‘in-stadium’ selections can be made at any time between now and the final selectors’ meeting on July 19.