The Australian Commonwealth Games Association has today confirmed a talented 45 athletes to the Australian team bound for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Among those earning selection are NSWIS athletes Josh Ralph, Nicholas Hough, Ian Dewhurst, Jake Stein, Christie Dawes, Angela Ballard, Jodi Elkington, Rae Anderson, Dani Samuels, Sophie Stanwell and Kurt Fearnley.

Ralph, Hough and Samuels have all tasted senior team experience before, competing at the IAAF World Championships in Moscow last year, whilst Ballard, Fearnley, Dawes and Elkington represented Australia at the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon.

Making their debut in the Australian athletics team are Dewhurst and Stein, with Anderson and Stanwell set to compete at a multi-sport event for open age athletes for the first time. 

Samuels, Ballard, Fearnley, Dawes and Elkington have all competed at one previous Commonwealth Games, with Samuels winning bronze in Melbourne in 2006 and Fearnley gold in Delhi in 2010.

This initial squad is the first of two scheduled announcements of confirmed selections to the Australian athletics team for the 2014 Commonwealth Games. 

The second will be made following final nominations to the Australian Commonwealth Games Association by Athletics Australia following the close of the Qualification Period on 1 June 2014.

2014 Commonwealth Games, Glasgow, Scotland
23 July – 3 August 2014

MEN:

T37 100m: Sean Roberts (SA)

800m: Josh Ralph (NSW), Jeff Riseley (Vic)

1500m: Jeff Riseley (Vic)

T54 1500m: Richard Colman (Vic), Kurt Fearnley (NSW)

10,000m: Collis Birmingham (Vic)

Marathon: Martin Dent (ACT)

110m hurdles: Nicholas Hough (NSW)

400m hurdles: Ian Dewhurst (NSW)

Pole vault: Joel Pocklington (Vic)

Long jump: Robbie Crowther (Qld), Henry Frayne (Qld)

Shot put: Damien Birkinhead (Vic)

Discus throw: Benn Harradine (Qld)

F42/44 discus throw: Paul Raison (SA)

Hammer throw: Tim Driesen (Vic)

Javelin: Josh Robinson (Qld)

Decathlon: Jake Stein (NSW)

WOMEN:

100m: Sally Pearson (Qld), Melissa Breen (ACT)

200m: Ella Nelson (NSW)

400m: Morgan Mitchell (Vic)

800m: Brittany McGowan (Qld)

1500m: Zoe Buckman (Vic)

T54 1500m: Madison de Rozario (WA), Christie Dawes (NSW), Angela Ballard (NSW)

5,000m: Emily Brichacek (ACT)

10,000m: Nikki Chapple (Vic)

Marathon: Jess Trengove (SA)

3000m steeplechase: Victoria Mitchell (Vic)

100m hurdles: Sally Pearson (Qld)

400m hurdles: Lauren Wells (ACT)

High jump: Eleanor Patterson (Vic)

Pole vault: Liz Parnov (WA), Alana Boyd (Qld)

Long jump: Brooke Stratton (Vic)

T37/38 long jump: Jodi Elkington (NSW), Rae Anderson (NSW)

Triple jump: Linda Leverton (Qld)

Discus throw: Dani Samuels (NSW)

Hammer throw: Lara Neilsen (Qld)

Javelin: Kim Mickle (WA), Kathryn Mitchell (Vic), Kelsey-Lee Roberts (ACT)

Heptathlon: Sophie Stanwell (NSW)