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Fault … ‘limelight’ Lewis says the media is to blame. File pic
http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5478,18223811^661,00.html
Pittman, Lewis call catfight truce
By Guy Hand
21feb06
THE ugly spat between Jana Pittman and Tamsyn Lewis is over.
Pittman said today that the war of words between the Commonwealth Games track teammates’ was finished, with the 400m hurdles favourite saying she just wanted to concentrate on defending the title in Melbourne next month.
“Totally,” Pittman said when asked if the issues between the pair had been resolved.
Lewis painted a cosier picture, saying she had warmed up with Pittman at the invitational meet at the Melbourne Cricket Ground last weekend, and that the pair had also spoken after Pittman’s 400m hurdles heat.
The feud dates back to the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens and reached its nadir a fortnight ago, when Lewis referred to Pittman in a radio interview as “bitch”.
“We have to talk, we are in a relay team together and we are going to be in teams for a long time,” Lewis said on Melbourne radio station Sport 927.
"We’re talking on the phone weekly and we warmed up for the relay together.
:eek: "Jana and I have worked out in the past few weeks what press do – they manipulate you and change your words. :rolleyes: INTERESTING THAT HER WORDS WERE QUOTED FROM A “LIVE” RADIO INTERVIEW. HOW COULD SHE BE MANIPULATED, HOW COULD HER WORDS BE CHANGED? :rolleyes:
"Everyone (in the track and field team) is so laughing at what’s going on … it’s really a bit of a farce.
"It’s time to let our feet do the talking.
Pittman said she was committed to forgetting the whole episode, which raised the ire of Commonwealth Games officials, and on concentrating on lowering her time for the 400m hurdles.
Pittman hopes a custom-made sprint suit will help her cause.
Sportswear manufacturer adidas is designing a sleeveless version of the men’s suit for her.
The men’s suit was unveiled at the Commonwealth Games sportswear launch in Melbourne today.
“If you’re running in a two-piece, there isn’t going to be a lot of difference, but I’m running in a suit that’s designed for me and that’s going to help my performance,” Pittman said.
“Even if it’s only 0.01sec or 0.02sec, it could be the difference between breaking records and not breaking records.”
Pittman gave herself a massive confidence boost with her performance on the Games athletics track last weekend, clocking 54.41sec to win the 400m hurdles final and declaring she had plenty of improvement left.
She believes the 400m hurdles will be won in a time in the low 53sec range, with emerging English hurdler Nicola Sanders recently running a sub-51sec time for the flat 400m indoors to stamp herself a serious threat to Pittman in Melbourne.
“I’m pretty close to that (a low 53sec) now, so I’m pretty confident,” Pittman said.