Boyd and Samuels added to preliminary Olympic track and field squad

New Australian pole vault world record holder Boyd and 2009 discus world champion Dani Samuels were among 12 Australians added to the track and field squad for the London Olympics.

The squad now numbers 25 and will likely grow to more than 40 by the June 11 cut-off. Boyd was surprisingly beaten into second place by training partner Liz Parnov at last weekend's trials in Melbourne.

But the selectors took into account Boyd's recent stellar run of form and the wet conditions in selecting her alongside Parnov who, at 17, is the youngest member of the squad.

Samuels came up just 70cm short of the automatic qualifying standard of 62m at the Melbourne trials, but did enough to convince national high performance manager Eric Hollingsworth and the other selectors that she can return to the distances she achieved in 2009. Henry Frayne received the nod in the long jump after previously earning automatic selection in his favored triple jump.

Jared Tallent will contest the 20km walk as well as the 50km, having medaled in both events four years ago in Beijing. And his wife Claire Tallent will compete in the women's 20km in London after winning the trial in Hobart last month.

The other Australians to book their tickets to London at the selectors' discretion were Collis Birmingham (5000m), Ben St Lawrence (10,000m), Lauren Boden (400m hurdles), 1500m duo Zoe Buckman and Kaila McKnight, 20km walkers Regan Lamble and Beki Lee and discus thrower Julian Wruck.

Craig Mottram (5000m), Brendan Cole (400m hurdles), Youcef Abdi (3000m steeplechase) and Jeff Riseley (800m) claimed automatic qualification by virtue of their victories at the trials at Lakeside Stadium.

LONDON OLYMPIC TRACK SQUAD FOR PRELIMINARY:

Men
Jeff Riseley(800m)
Craig Mottram, Collis Birmingham (5000m)
Ben St Lawrence (10,000m)
Brendan Cole (400m hurdles)
Youcef Abdi (3000m steeplechase)
Jared Tallent(20km walk)
Jared Tallent, Luke Adams, Nathan Deakes (50km walk)
Mitchell Watt, Henry Frayne (Long jump)
Henry Frayne (Triple jump)
Jarrod Bannister (Javelin)
Benn Harradine, Julian Wruck (Discus)

Women
Zoe Buckman, Kaila McKnight (1500m)
Sally Pearson (100m hurdles)
Lauren Boden (400m hurdles)
Claire Tallent, Regan Lamble, Beki Lee (20km walk)
Alana Boyd, Liz Parnov (Pole vault)
Kim Mickle (Javelin)
Dani Samuels (Discus)

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