Birmingham to lead charge

COLLIS Birmingham will pull on green and gold for his fourth IAAF World Cross Country Championships.The Eureka Olympian has been named in an 18-strong squad to run in Jordan next month.Birmingham finished third in the Athletics Australia trials at Stromlo Forest Park, Canberra on Sunday after a late fade-out across the 12-kilometre course.Trial winner Martin Dent is unavailable for the world championships, leaving Birmingham and experienced Queenslander to lead the Australian charge.Liam Adams, a 2008 World University Cross Country Championship silver medallist, will make his debut at the championship.Amman, Jordan will mark Birmingham's third appearance in the championships' senior marquee race.The 24-year-old topped the Australian trials last year before placing 74th in Edinburgh.He made his senior debut at Mombasa, Kenya in 2006 and first appeared at the championships in the juniors at Lausanne, Switzerland in 2003.Birmingham has been in dominant form this summer with several strong performances, including a third consecutive Briggs Classic 5000-metre crown in Hobart last week and third, ahead of training partner Craig Mottram, in the 15km Great Australian Run.Australia's world cross country team will be coached by world cross country gold medallist Sonia O'Sullivan.