Kathryn Mitchell in team for London Olympics

Mitchell was yesterday selected in a 54-strong Australian track and field to compete in the Olympic Games next month.

The Melbourne-based Eureka Athletic Club member secured her place as the second javelin thrower alongside West Australian Kim Mickle with a personal best in the Czech Republic late last month.

Her throw of 64.34 metres at a Golden Spike meet at Ostrava was also her second Olympic A-qualifer.

She joins 5000m runner Collis Birmingham, and Olympic racewalking dual medallist Jared Tallent and his wife Claire, who is also a racewalker, as Ballarat’s interests in the track and field team for London.

Originally from Casterton, Mitchell, 29, moved to Ballarat as a secondary school student to train under the guidance of javelin coach Lindsay Burgoyne.

She spent four years in Ballarat as a Ballarat High School and University of Ballarat student.

Mitchell has maintained her Eureka membership.

She said Ballarat had been a linchpin in her development as an international athlete and it would always be a home away from home for her.

While this will be her first Olympics, Mitchell is a two-time Commonwealth Games athlete - Melbourne 2006 and Delhi 2010.

The Australian team is headlined by reigning 100m hurdles world champion Sally Pearson, 2011 world championships long jump silver medallist Mitchell Watt, defending Olympic pole vault titleholder Steve Hooker and Jared Tallent.

Tallent (20km and 50km walk), Henry Frayne (triple jump and long jump) and Jeff Riseley (800m and 1500m) are the only athletes chosen in two individual events, although Riseley will almost certainly have to focus on just one of the middle-distance races.

Australia will have the full complement of three competitors in all three walks, both marathons, the men’s 5000m and the men’s discus.

AA high performance manager Eric Hollingsworth is chasing an ambitious target of six medals in London, a feat not achieved by an Australian Olympic track and field team since 1968.

Australian track and field team:

MEN (34):

800m: Jeff Riseley (Vic)

1500m: Ryan Gregson (NSW), Jeff Riseley (Vic)

5000m: Collis Birmingham (Vic), David McNeill (Vic), Craig Mottram (Vic)

10,000m: Ben St Lawrence (NSW)

Marathon: Martin Dent (ACT), Jeff Hunt (NSW), Michael Shelley (Qld)

3000m steeplechase: Youcef Abdi (NSW)

400m hurdles: Brendan Cole (ACT), Tristan Thomas (Tas)

20km walk: Chris Erickson (Vic), Adam Rutter (NSW), Jared Tallent (Vic)

50km walk: Luke Adams (NSW), Nathan Deakes (Vic), Jared Tallent (Vic)

Long jump: Henry Frayne (Qld), Mitchell Watt (Qld)

Triple jump: Henry Frayne (Qld)

Pole vault: Steven Hooker (WA)

Shot put: Dale Stevenson (Vic)

Discus throw: Benn Harradine (Vic), Scott Martin (Vic), Julian Wruck (Qld)

Javelin: Jarrod Bannister (Vic)

4x100m relay: Anthony Alozie (Vic), Tim Leathart (NSW), Andrew McCabe (Qld), Isaac Ntiamoah (NSW), Josh Ross (Vic)

4x400m relay: Brendan Cole (ACT), Ben Offereins (WA), Joel Milburn (NSW), Steven Solomon (NSW), John Steffensen (NSW), Tristan Thomas (Tas)

WOMEN (20):

100m: Melissa Breen (ACT)

1500m: Kaila McKnight (Vic), Zoe Buckman (ACT)

10,000m: Eloise Wellings (NSW)

Marathon: Jessica Trengove (SA), Lisa Weightman (Vic), Benita Willis (Vic)

100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Qld)

400m hurdles: Lauren Boden (ACT)

20km walk: Regan Lamble (Vic), Beki Lee (NSW), Claire Tallent (SA)

Pole vault: Alana Boyd (WA), Liz Parnov (WA)

Discus throw: Dani Samuels (NSW)

Javelin: Kim Mickle (WA), Kathryn Mitchell (Vic)

4x100m relay: Melissa Breen (ACT), Hayley Butler (NSW), Jessica Knox (NSW), Sally Pearson (Qld), Charlotte Van Veenendaal (Vic)