COLLIS Birmingham will represent Australia in this year’s IAAF World Indoor Athletics Championships in the United States.
The Ballarat Olympian will run in the 3000 metres.
Birmingham is among the first four athletes selected by Athletics Australia for the meet in Portland, Oregon, on March 17-20.
He has been named with long jumper Fabrice Lapierre, and 60m hurdlers Michelle Jenneke and Nicholas Hough.
Birmingham finished 10th in the 3000m final in the 2014 world indoor championships in Poland.
His performance was the third best ever by an Australian in the 3000m at the world indoors.
While Birmingham prepares for the the worlds, two of his records will be on the line in the Victorian Country Track and Field Championships in Geelong. The three-day meet begins on Friday.
Birmingham still holds the Victorian Country under-16 boys’ 3000m and open men’s 10,000m records, set in 2000 and 2010 respectively.
Each of the Ballarat Regional Athletic Centre’s four clubs will have strong representations in the titles.
Wendouree athletes will have the busiest meet of the quartet with members providing 170 entries. Eureka competitors across 60 events, Harriers 40 and YCW 40.
World junior championships aspirant Liam Procaccino (Harriers) and Australian racewalking representative Kellie Ruddick (Harriers), who has won multiple country titles, will be among Ballarat’s leading competitors.
While Procaccino’s main focus will be the under-20 400m, he has also entered the 100m.
Jack Davies (Eureka) 1500m; Holly Dobbyn (Eureka) 100 and 200m; Emma Werner (Eureka) hammer throw and discus; Courtney Scott (Eiureka) 5000m; Angela Williams (Wendouree) 5000m; Tara Domaschenz (Eureka) and Rob Lehmann ((Wendouree) will be among other Ballarat leading lights along with a big contingent of emerging youngsters who have competed at state and national levels.
