Australian hurdler Michelle Jenneke is ready and raring to go to Rio, having cracked the Olympic-qualifying mark for the first time this season to win her first national title.

Jenneke, as well known for her exuberant pre-race dancing as she is for her quick times, ran under the magic 13 seconds in her 100m hurdles final on Sunday.

In the absence of reigning Olympic champion Sally Pearson, the 22-year-old blazed home in 12.93 at Sydney Olympic Park to earn the nod for her debut Olympics.

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Last July she posted a 12.94 qualifier at the World University Games in South Korea, though had not managed the feat this season.

“It’s so good to finally get under 13,” an ecstatic Jenneke said.

“I’ve been fairly close this season but I haven’t been able to get there.

“This is the most pumped I’ve been all season and it showed in my race.

“And that definitely wasn’t my best race – there were a lot of things I could have fixed up.

“That gives me a lot of confidence leading into Rio because I’ve got lots of things to work on and I can improve that time even further.”



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Joining Jenneke in Rio is London 100m hurdles gold medallist Pearson, who has been selected despite having not raced in nearly a year since her horror wrist fracture in Rome last June.

It means Australia will be represented by two women in the Olympic event for the first time since the Munich Games in 1972.

Jenneke admitted her selection hadn’t yet sunk in.

“When I crossed the line I sort of knew I’d done what it took,” she said.

“I knew it was going to be tough, and it really hasn’t hit me yet.



“I’ll tell you when I reach Rio I guess.”

Sydney-based Jenneke plans to complete most of her preparation in Australia before wrapping up with a training camp in the US.