Athletics Australia officials were satisfied with Samuels' effort of 61.30 metres in the conditions, even though it was 70cm short of the automatic qualifying mark.

The London-bound athletics squad now numbers 25 and should eventually rise to more than 40.

The progress back to fitness and form of two of Australia's other top performers – defending Olympic pole vault champion Steve Hooker and twice world champion 400m hurdler Jana Pittman – will be under close scrutiny ahead of the qualification deadline of June 11.

Samuels admits she is still well short of the form that won her a shock gold medal at the 2009 International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) World Championships in Berlin.

But she is adamant that things are improving after a mediocre 2011, during which time she just scraped into the final of the World Championships in Daegu.

"I see myself as really gaining momentum and building confidence with each throw," she told AAP.

"After the competition on the weekend, I'm starting to feel a little bit like my old self, being determined to throw further and be better, rather than just hoping that the next throw will be better.

"I'm getting back to feeling bulletproof.

"I know it's coming along very slowly, but it is coming along and this is another step in the right direction."

All three women's discus medallists in Daegu threw further than Samuels' gold-medal effort of 65.44m in Berlin and she knows it will probably take a personal best effort to get onto the podium in London.

"The girls have definitely gone up to another level," said the 23-year-old.

"We've got a lot of work to do – it's five months from yesterday until my Olympic final."


Hooker, who like Samuels endured a disappointing 2011, is training well but will not return to competition until he is back to full form, while Pittman (pictured centre) has only just gone back to the track after overcoming another foot injury.

Deakes will be joined in the walks by Jared Tallent, a double medallist at the Beijing 2008 Games.

Henry Frayne has received the nod in the long jump from the selectors after previously earning automatic selection in his favoured triple jump.

New national pole vault record holder Alana Boyd was surprisingly beaten into second place by training partner Liz Parnov at last weekend's trials.

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.

The other Australians to book their tickets to London at the selectors' discretion were Collis Birmingham (5,000m), Ben St Lawrence (10,000m), Lauren Boden (400m hurdles), 1,500m duo Zoe Buckman and Kaila McKnight, 20km walkers Regan Lamble and Beki Lee and discus thrower Julian Wruck.

Craig Mottram (5,000m), Brendan Cole (400m hurdles), Youcef Abdi (3,000m steeplechase) and Jeff Riseley (800m) claimed automatic qualification by virtue of their victories in the trials at Lakeside Stadium, while Claire Tallent won the women's 20km walk trial last month in Hobart.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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