Patrick Johnson Pleads For A Second Chance To Make the Australian Olympics Team
Dual Olympian sprinter Patrick Johnson seeks to appeal against his non-selection in Australia's representative track team for the Beijing Olympics. The decision was announced yesterday, March 4, 2008-- the 35-year old Johnson was overlooked for a preliminary 25 member track and field team for the games.
As of yet, no male or female sprinter was chosen in the Australian squad, but the addition of athletes are still taking place until June 23, when the final team will then be chosen.
One of the major reasons why Johnson, who is incidentally the Australian 100m record holder, was overlooked in the preliminary meets was because of a hamstring strain he suffered at last weekend's national titles at Nathan, in the south of Brisbane. However, Johnson is set to persuade the authorities that he still wants a chance to prove he has sufficiently recovered from the aforementioned injury.
The selectors of this year's team have also overlooked four other highly experience athletes. These athletes are pole vaulters Paul Burgess and Kym Howe, 1,500 m runner Sarah Jamieson, and walker Jane Saville. The authorities have asserted that they will be reconsidered should they prove they have recovered well from their injuries.
Clive Stephens, Johnson's manager,had said that Johnson also seeks to be one of those athletes to be reconsidered. Stephen's pleads that Johnsons be given at least a chance. He asserts that though Johnson may be injured, he is still one of the better athletes, and he should be granted the time to prove that he has returned to his running form. Johnsons does not demand to be put on the team; he is merely asking for a chance to prove that he can still perform well.
Other overlooked athletes have until the afternoon of March 6 to make appeals with the Australian Athletics Council against their non-selection.
