Willis stakes London claim with qualifier in Houston

 

A three-time Olympian and four-time world championships representative, Willis’ performance sees the 32-year-old in contention for the Australian Flame team for the first time since the 2008 Beijing Olympics where she placed 21st (2:31:06) in the marathon.

Willis said: "I didn't want to risk going for a really fast time today,"

 

"I just wanted to go for a really good, solid qualifier that should get me on the team, and then recover quickly from it."

Nic Bideau, Willis’ manager, said: “Benita has been training very well in Boulder, Colorado with American runner James Carney and under the guidance of American coach Brad Hudson.”

 

“Houston was always part of the race plan that we worked on, it was where she would chase her time, and I’m rapt that the result we needed has eventuated."

 

Equally impressed with the result, Tim O’Shaughnessy, Athletics Australia’s National Distance Coordinator, happily highlights that Willis’ performance proves that with grit and determination over time comes results.

 

O’Shaughnessy said: “This is one hell of an effort, not often to people come back from where she has been to push for nomination to the Australian Olympic Committee forLondon 2012.”

 

“She ran in Houston looking for a time like this and she has proven she is stillmore than capable. She should be very proud of her efforts, that’s for sure.”

 

Willis is the 2004 world cross country championship gold medallist and the silver medallist from the 2003 world half-marathon championships. She has won ten Australian Championship medals, including six gold.

 

The Houston Women’s Marathon was won by Ethiopian Alemitu Abera in 2:23:14. The men’s event was won by Tariku Jufar (ETH) in 2:06:51, with Australian Shawn Forrest fourth across the line in 2:14:37.