January 4 - Jana Rawlinson (pictured), Australia's double world 400 metres hurdles champion, has had her breast implants removed to give herself a better chance of lifting the Olympic title at London in 2012, she revealed today.

Days after announcing she would remarry former husband, Chris Rawlinson, the controversial athlete told Woman's Day magazine that she spent $13,000 (£7,000) surgically augmenting her breasts, only to have the procedure undone.

She said: "Yep, I'm back to being flat as a pancake."

Rawlinson said she had the implants removed because she felt they were affecting her running.

The 27-year-old said: "Every time I raced I panicked about whether I was letting my country down, all for my own vanity.

"I absolutely loved having bigger boobs, but I don't want to short-change Australia either.

"I want to feel the most athletic I can, to know that I'm standing on the track in London the fittest I can be."

Rawlinson, however, felt she would reconsider the move in the future.

"I can always get my breasts enhanced again when I finish my career.

"I know there are no medals for being beautiful."

Rawlinson had got divorced from Chris, formerly Britain's top-ranked hurdler, in May and started using her maiden name Pittman once again.

But she now claims she has fallen back in love in Rawlinson, the father of her son Cornelis and her former coach, and the couple plan to remarry.

Rawlinson said: "I knew instantly I was about to lose my husband forever, and I'd already worked out I didn't want that.

"I felt sick at the thought of him with anyone else.

"I was miserable without him, and our heartache hit me harder than losing at the Olympics or anything sport-related.

"It's just the best feeling to be back to us."

But before they can remarry, the couple first need to finalise their divorce to annul their first marriage, which took place after the 2006 Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.

In the meantime, Chris Rawlinson has begun coaching his wife again as she seeks to win the Olympic title that has so far eluded her following injuries in both Athens in 2004 and Beijing in 2008.


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 Pittman may switch to triathlon after London 2012
October 2009: Pittman targets New Delhi but London 2012 remains the priority
May 2009: Rawlinson targets London after split from British husband