Jana Rawlinson out of Beijing Olympics

A toe and other related injuries have ruled Jana Rawlinson out of the Beijing Olympics - on the same day that the world 400-meter hurdles champion was announced as part of her third Australian Summer Games team.

	Jana Rawlinson out of Beijing Olympics
	BREAKING NEWS America chooses its future US Army’s Human Terrain System: Madness, Mayhem and Troughs of Cash Ukraine angers Russia with its intention to join NATO
	Diamonds - best friends for everyone, not just girls More...

Rawlinson, who won the world championships in 2003 and 2007 and was Australia's best chance of a track gold at Beijing, appeared to be on the road to recovery in Poland last week when she competed for the first time in nine months.

But Rawlinson's manager, James Ward, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that other injuries stemming from a toe injury, including Achilles and calf ailments, meant she would not be competing in China.

"Her time in Poland was her slowest in eight years," Ward said. "She's done very little training since then, and when she trained on Tuesday, she couldn't run in a straight line."

The 25-year-old Rawlinson won her 2003 title as Jana Pittman and went into the Athens Olympics as one of the favorites, but finished fifth after sustaining a knee injury in training.

"It is devastating for her," Ward said. "She's very unlucky to have had this happen two Olympics in a row. Both times she's had to battle injuries. She gave it every opportunity, but it's not going to happen."

Earlier, Rawlinson was among a 41-member athletics team announced for Beijing that includes world 50-kilometer walk world champion Nathan Deakes.

She won her second world title last August at Osaka, Japan - eight months after giving birth to her first child, Cornelis.

Jane Saville, 20-kilometer walk bronze medalist at the Athens Games, will be going to her fourth Olympics. Australia's other medal chances include former world No. 1 pole vaulter Steve Hooker and Craig Mottram in the 5,000 meters.

Athletics Australia national performance manager Max Binnington said he had high expectations for the team, but made no medal predictions.

"Those athletes who have been there before or been very successful in world championships, we want to see them certainly top eight and being a real chance to medal," Binnington said.

Read more news