Josh Clarke and Alex Hartmann to break Australia’s 12-year 100m, 200m drought at an Olympics

JUST a year after packing shelves at Big W, Rio-bound Josh Hartmann will become the first man to represent Australia in the 200m since the Athens Games in 2004.

SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES - APRIL 03: Alexander Hartmann competes in the Men's 200m final during the Australian Athletics Championships at Sydney Olympic Park on April 3, 2016 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)

A SPRINT revolution is the highlight of Australia’s track and field team for Rio with 20 new Olympians named on Sunday.

A team of 35 was selected after the completion of the four-day Olympic trials in Sydney with the emergence of sprinters Alex Hartmann, Josh Clarke and Ella Nelson signalling a new era on the track.

The team number is expected to swell to around 50 by the July 12 selection deadline.

Hartmann claimed his second national 200m title and a ticket to Rio at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Australia hasn’t had a male representative in the 100m and 200m at an Olympic Games since Athens 2004 while Nelson will also be the first female 200m runner for 12 years.

Clarke missed the selection trials because of injury but his 10.15sec at the ACT Championships in February got him on the team.

Hartmann joined him when he brilliantly won his second national 200m title in 20.46sec.

The emergence of the 23-year-old is one of the feel good stories of the season given the Queenslander was stacking shelves at Big W last year.

“It’s a relief and I’m just ecstatic to be a part of the Olympic team,” Hartmann said. “What can I say? I worked hard for it and the results have shown with all the hard work.

“I’m not working any more. I’m a full-time athlete, my nutrition has changed, everything has changed, I’ve revamped the training program so everything is different.

“I think we have taken a very professional approach this year compared to previous years and the results have showed.”

Hartmann lives at home in Brisbane with his mother, Petra, who works as a housekeeper at a retirement village.

“She is an absolute champion,” he said. “She provides me with food and all that sort of stuff and I saved a lot of money from my previous job.

“It was at Big W and I did pretty much everything, customer service to the back dock, and I’ve been living off that although it’s coming to the bottom of the pit now.”

Nelson continued her stunning season by clocking 22.59sec to win her third consecutive national title and become the first Australian since Lauren Hewitt to run 200m on the Olympic stage.

Nelson blitzed the field at the Australian Athletics Championships.

“I was so nervous,” Nelson said. “I’ve never been more nervous in my life. I just put so much pressure on myself to perform well. Even though I came in with quite a big lead in terms of time I just really wanted to execute.”

Australia will also have two representatives in the women’s 100m hurdles for the first time since 1972 in Munich after Michelle Jenneke confirmed her spot for Rio.

Reigning Olympic champion Sally Pearson missed the trials as she recovers from an achilles injury but is expected to return to competition in June.

It was a relieved Jenneke who won her first national crown by clocking 12.93sec to confirm she would make her Olympic debut in August.

Josh Clarke booked his Rio ticket in February. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

“It is so good to get under 13 again this season,” she said. “I’m feeling so confident now going into the rest of the year.”

Tamsyn Manou finished third in the 800m final, ending her hopes of an Olympic comeback at the age of 37 with the national title going to Queensland’s Brittany McGowan.

THE NEW FACES SELECTED FOR RIO

Damien Birkinhead (shot put), Cedric Dubler (decathlon), Melissa Duncan (1500m), Madeline Hills (3000m steeplechase), Chelsea Jaensch (long jump), Luke Mathews (800m), Morgan Mitchell (400m), Eleanor Patterson (high jump), Kelsey-Lee Roberts (javelin), Brett Robinson (5000m) Anneliese Rubie (400m), Brandon Starc (high jump) and Brooke Stratton (long jump).

Walkers Dane Bird-Smith, Brendon Reading and Rachel Tallent will also be making their Olympic debuts in Rio.

Originally published as Josh Clarke and Alex Hartmann to break Australia’s 12-year 100m, 200m drought at an Olympics