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Jana chased for domestic series
JESSICA HALLORAN From: Sunday Herald Sun November 28, 2010
JANA Rawlinson is being lured back to run in the Australian domestic season.
Athletics Australia want the England-based Rawlinson to be a headline athlete for the Australian Athletics Tour.
The injury-plagued world champion has spent the past several years training near her home in Loughborough and is said to be keen to return for the summer competition.
Athletics Australia head coach Eric Hollingsworth said: "It would mean we’ve got one of our all-time great athletes back in the framework.
"What we are trying to do in the next 20 months to the London (Olympics in 2012) is to get all our great athletes fit and healthy, well supported, well looked after and ready to fire.
“She said to me she’s very keen. She can’t wait to get on the track.”
The 27-year-old last competed for Australia when she won the 400m hurdles at the 2007 world championships, the last year she competed domestically.
The Australian Athletics Tour has prizemoney of $430,000 for the five-event tour that will have top athletes competing against each other in a points race.
[b]World and Olympic champion pole vaulter Steve Hooker and world champion discus thrower Dani Samuels are down to compete on the tour. World indoor long jump champion Fabrice Lapierre is also expected to turn out.
Hollingsworth expects Rawlinson back in Australia about mid-February.[/b]
“She’s a committed athlete,” :o he said. “She is doing all the things she needs to do to be the best.”
He is confident Rawlinson will be fit for the tour.
“She’s got to be patient and keep going the way she’s going and hopefully we’ll see her on the track,” he said.
"She’s training hard and is fit and raring to go.
“We’ve got to keep our fingers crossed she doesn’t get hurt.”
Rawlinson has endured a tumultuous time, with rumours she floated the idea of running for Great Britain at London 2012.
In July Rawlinson denied she would change countries, but by missing the Commonwealth Games she will have fulfilled a significant part of the process of being able to switch countries, because it will have been three years since she represented Australia.