Jared Tallent walks for a fourth world championship medal in London next month.
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This will be the seventh IAAF World Championships that Tallent has contested – overtaking fellow Ballarat athlete Steve Moneghetti, Tamsyn Manou, and other racewalkers Jane Saville and Kerry Saxby-Junna on six.
Tallent will be joined by his wife Claire, and Ballarat javelin thrower Kathryn Mitchell in the 48-strong Australia team.
Claire Tallent has replaced her injured sister-in-law Rachel Tallent in the women’s 20km walk.
It is disappointing for Rachel, who overcame stress fractures to earn pre-selection for London last month.
A Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Claire retired from competition after the 2012 London Olympic Games.
She continued her involvement as Jared’s coach before returning to the sport after the birth of their son a couple a months ago.
She came into consideration for selection after registering a qualifying time.
Former Ballarat Clarendon College student Stewart McSweyn missed selection for the 5000m despite running a qualifier in what has been a stellar European season for the emerging Tasmanian.
Selectors chose Morgan McDonald, Sam McEntee and Patrick Tiernan ahead of him. McDonald edged past McSweyn with a qualifying time in Belgium at the weekend, a performance which made him the the sixth fastest Australian all-time over 5000m moving.
Jared Tallent made his world championships debut in the 20km in Helsinki, Finland, in 2005.
He followed up at Osaka, Japan, in 2007; Berlin, Germany in 2009, when he competed in the 20km and 50km double for the first time; Daegu, South Korea, in 2011; Moscow, Russia in 2013, and then Beijing, China in 2015.
His first medal came in South Korea with silver in the 50km – the same distance he will contest in London.
Tallent has gone on to a 50km bronze in Russia and another 50km silver in China.
His medal in Beijing was one of only two Australia, with long jumper Fabrice Lapierre also collecting silver.
Mitchell is going to London on the back of career-best performances.
One of the veterans of the world circuit at 35 years of age, Mitchell threw a personal best 66.12m in finishing third in in a Diamond League meet in Switzerland.
This was one of five qualifiers of 61.40m she had thrown this year.
The world begin on Friday, August 4.
