| Lewis lines up Jana's world hurdles crown |
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AAP June 4, 2009 TAMSYN Lewis is set to square off against two-time world champion Jana Rawlinson and reigning Olympic gold medallist Melaine Walker in the 400-metre hurdles at the world track and field titles in August. Lewis, whose career has been revitalised since brother Justin took over as her coach two years ago, has qualified in the 400m flat and hurdles for the world championships in Berlin. She cannot contest both events and has much more experience in the one-lap flat race after taking up hurdling only six months ago. But buoyed by her remarkable victory at the national titles in March, Lewis is poised to tackle the hurdles in the German capital. "At this stage it's going to be the 400 hurdles, and I'll have to do something incredible in the 400 [flat] in the next month or so to change my coach's mind," Lewis said yesterday. "It's a little bit daunting as I've only just learnt to hurdle. "The reason why I'm choosing the hurdles at this stage is that my long-term goal is the 2012 London Olympics and the 400 hurdles. "But the decision for Berlin is out of mind, which is good because I don't want to think about it. "Because my coach is my brother I know he will make the right decision for me. "I have complete faith in him." Lewis's first 400m hurdles in Europe in the build-up to the 2009 world titles will be in the Spanish town of Malaga on June 27, where she is likely to come up against Rawlinson, who is ready to return to racing after overcoming a string of injuries. Lewis's personal best in her new event is 56.27 seconds, well behind Rawlinson's PB of 53.22 or the 52.64 which Jamaican Walker set to win gold at the Beijing Olympics. "Obviously I'm nowhere near the level of Melaine Walker and the top girls, but I need to be in it to get the experience," said the 30-year-old Victorian, who has also claimed 14 national titles over 400m and 800m and won gold in the 800m at last year's world indoor championships. "I ran 56.2 at the nationals with Lauren Boden pushing me in the first hurdles race I'd been in where I had real competition. "If I can do that overseas against the 54- or 55-second girls and get close to them, then who knows." Lewis and Rawlinson are also set to team up in the 4x400m relay in Berlin after Australia qualified for the event last month in Japan. "We qualified without Jana which is an awesome effort and we qualified easily," Lewis said. "It was like the hurdles at the nationals for me, it was one of those moments where you didn't expect it to happen but when it did it was really special." AAP |