ID :
12129
Fri, 07/11/2008 - 11:06
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/12129
The shortlink copeid
Jana flying home after Beijing pullout
(AAP) - Jana Rawlinson is looking to the future as she returns to Australia following her heartbreaking withdrawal from next month's Beijing Olympics.
The dual 400m hurdles world champion is flying back to her hometown of Sydney with husband and coach Chris and infant son Cornelis after ending her Olympic bid in adecision Athletics Australia described as a tragedy.
She will hold a media conference at 10am (AEST) in Sydney on Sunday.
Until complications from a toe injury forced her to withdraw, the 25-year-old had shaped as Australia's best chance of a track and field gold medal at the BeijingGames.
She has now shifted her focus to next year's world championships in Berlin and the2012 London Olympics.
"The disappointment she must be feeling now is nothing short of a tragedy," AA chiefexecutive Danny Corcoran told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"It is a big loss, a big blow.
"But I think for her to make the decision now, put her future ahead of her, rather than risk any damage going forward ... I'm sure it was a tough one but we're now in that situation and we'll move forward." Rawlinson has vowed to compete at the 2012 London Olympics and AA's nationalperformance manager Max Binnington believed the hurdler would realise that goal.
"With Jana Rawlinson I would never want to be the person that says she can't makeit," he said.
"She's a very determined person and I'm quite sure she will give every chance to make it ... I'm sure she will do everything she can to make sure she's there in 2012."Binnington said Rawlinson's withdrawal from Beijing was not totally unexpected.
Rawlinson had toe surgery in January this year and only return to racing last weekat a low key meet in Poland.
The surgery caused complications, with Rawlinson saying associated pain in the archin her right foot had become unbearable.
"We could see it coming," Binnington said.
"We could see it was going to be a lineball situation - if she had made it to thestarting line it would've been a remarkable performance on her part.
"It's just one of those things that happens to high performance athletes, who are operating on the edge at all times." Former Olympics sprint medallist Raelene Boyle said both the 2012 and 2016 Gameswere still within reach for Rawlinson.
"If she kept pushing her body, with this chain of injuries, she probably would be damaging herself for a far greater period of time and then not be able to come backsay for the Comm (Commonwealth) Games or the next world championships," she said.
"So she's better off to forget this Olympics, she's got one or two left in her anyway."
The dual 400m hurdles world champion is flying back to her hometown of Sydney with husband and coach Chris and infant son Cornelis after ending her Olympic bid in adecision Athletics Australia described as a tragedy.
She will hold a media conference at 10am (AEST) in Sydney on Sunday.
Until complications from a toe injury forced her to withdraw, the 25-year-old had shaped as Australia's best chance of a track and field gold medal at the BeijingGames.
She has now shifted her focus to next year's world championships in Berlin and the2012 London Olympics.
"The disappointment she must be feeling now is nothing short of a tragedy," AA chiefexecutive Danny Corcoran told reporters in Melbourne on Thursday.
"It is a big loss, a big blow.
"But I think for her to make the decision now, put her future ahead of her, rather than risk any damage going forward ... I'm sure it was a tough one but we're now in that situation and we'll move forward." Rawlinson has vowed to compete at the 2012 London Olympics and AA's nationalperformance manager Max Binnington believed the hurdler would realise that goal.
"With Jana Rawlinson I would never want to be the person that says she can't makeit," he said.
"She's a very determined person and I'm quite sure she will give every chance to make it ... I'm sure she will do everything she can to make sure she's there in 2012."Binnington said Rawlinson's withdrawal from Beijing was not totally unexpected.
Rawlinson had toe surgery in January this year and only return to racing last weekat a low key meet in Poland.
The surgery caused complications, with Rawlinson saying associated pain in the archin her right foot had become unbearable.
"We could see it coming," Binnington said.
"We could see it was going to be a lineball situation - if she had made it to thestarting line it would've been a remarkable performance on her part.
"It's just one of those things that happens to high performance athletes, who are operating on the edge at all times." Former Olympics sprint medallist Raelene Boyle said both the 2012 and 2016 Gameswere still within reach for Rawlinson.
"If she kept pushing her body, with this chain of injuries, she probably would be damaging herself for a far greater period of time and then not be able to come backsay for the Comm (Commonwealth) Games or the next world championships," she said.
"So she's better off to forget this Olympics, she's got one or two left in her anyway."
