World lead hurdler Sally Pearson, and Sean Wroe, who won a 400m bronze at the Summer Universiade overnight, will headline Australia’s relay teams when competition at the IAAF world championships in Daegu (KOR) gets underway next Saturday, August 27.
 
Combining with their teammates to ensure an Australian team is entered in all four events at the world championships for the first time since Paris in 2003, the fast paced duo will line up with a further 17 Australian Flame athletes in both the men’s and women’s 4x100m and 4x400m events.

Clocking 45.93, Wroe won Australia’s first track and field medal in Shenzhen (CHN) last night. Wroe’s performance was a second season best in as many days for the 24-year-old Victorian and adds a third Summer Universiade medal to his burgeoning trophy cabinet.
 
“These past few days have been really good for me, a couple of season bests and a medal is the ideal build up before the relays in Daegu,” Wroe said.
 
Wroe will be joined by all but one of the relay team that won bronze at the 2009IAAF world championships in Berlin (GER) when he arrives in Daegu, with up and coming track star and 2011 national 400m champion Steven Solomon providing the new blood.
 
“The boys are really experienced relay runners, John (Steffensen) is a proven campaigner and so are Ben (Offereins) and Tristan (Thomas). Steve has a big future so it will be great to see him take that first step internationally with the Flame.
 
“I’m hoping that my confidence from here gives the boys a buzz, we are all pretty big characters and should get each other pumped up so we are capable of plenty.
 
“The 400m has been strange all year really, not many have run the 45.25 qualifier anywhere in the world so times across the board are slower than 2009 – we can make a final and from there who knows what could happen.”
 
Wroe’s teammates from the Summer Universiade Caitlin Sargent and Anneleise Rubie will join Lauren Boden, who will also compete in the women’s 400m hurdles, and Caitlin Pincott on the start line for the women’s 4x400m relay.
 
Sargent last night made the 400m final at the World University Games where she placed 7th in a time of 53.29, while Boden and Pincott have flown the Australian flag in the relay at the 2010 Commonwealth Games and 2009 IAAF world championships respectively.
 
Guiding the women’s 4x100m relay team is Sharon Hannan, who this morning highlighted how well the team of Pearson, Melissa Breen, Laura Whaler, Charlotte Van Veenendaal and Hayley Butler are coming together in readiness for the sound of the start gun.
 
“Sally individually is coming along really nicely, we had a very, very good European campaign and she has arrived here after a solid, strong and consistent couple of months,” Hannan said.
 
“She has been struggling with a reduced volume of training, as have most of the relay team, but they’ll all see in a couple of weeks how that will benefit them.
 
“Hayley is obviously the newest addition to the squad and I couldn’t be happier with how her experienced and knowledgeable coach Penny Gillies has prepared her.
 
“She has gelled perfectly with the girls who are all happy and fit, the few niggles that we’ve seen have been managed perfectly by the medical team and all five girls are in top shape which is a credit to their training programs up to now.”
 
The women’s team is joined in the athlete village by the men’s 4x100m relay team of Anthony Alozie, Liam Gander, Isaac Ntiamoah, Matt Davies and Aaron Rouge-Serret. Hannan describes the layout as outstanding after spending near on a week in the facility already.
 
“The village is absolutely extraordinary, it’s first class,” Hannan continued.
 
“The food has been fantastic, the people are accommodating and helpful. Everything we’ve needed has been supplied and it’s just been great.
 
“The warm up track is hard and fast, Sally is loving it. Her eyes open with excitement when she finishes her sessions.”
 
Athletics Australia