Hollingsworth Optimistic & defends selection policy

Hollingsworth Optimistic on Daegu & defends hard line selection policy

Speaking to the Runner’s Tribe from Daegu, Korea today, Australia’s high performance manager and team leader, Eric Hollingsworth, has expressed his optimism about Australia’s chances.

Just two days out from the start of the World Championships Hollingsworth says that the team is settled and is now acclimatised to Daegu’s conditions.

Hollingsworth is hoping for five medals from Daegu with the weight of expectation being carried on Australia’s biggest stars including Dani Samuels, Steve Hooker, Mitchell Watt, Sally Pearson and the men’s 400m relay team (Ben Offereins, Sean Wroe, Steve Solomon, John Steffensen and Tristan Thomas).

Injury wise, Hollingsworth reports a pretty clean slate with only a few question marks lingering. Speaking from Daegu he said:

“Fab (Long Jumper Fabrice Lapieere) was a concern but he has trained well over the past three days and Ryan Gregson’s calf injury has healed”

When questioned about a few notable athletes who were not selected for Daegu such as Tamsyn Lewis, Lachlan Renshaw and Zoe Buckman, Hollingsworth defended Athletics Australia’s selection decisions stating that only athletes capable of finishing in the top 16 were considered, and only an A qualifier ensures their spot on the team. When speaking  of Renshaw Hollingsworth stated:

“Lachlan did a great job at the World University Games wining the 800m. It is a shame he didn’t get the A qualifying time. It is up to Lachlan now to knuckle down and to train hard so that he can come out and get that A standard for London”

Hollingsworth also pointed out that Athletics Australia’s hard line on selection is working, stating that athletes have risen to the added expectation.

He said that: “One year out from the London 2012 Olympics a total of twenty athletes have already produced A qualifying standards”.

The Runner’s Tribe will be catching up with Eric Hollingsworth throughout the Daegu World Championships for regular team and athlete updates. Stay tuned to Runner’s Tribe….

Ends