Pearson, Tallent spearhead Australian athletics world team

Champion hurdler Sally Pearson and walker Jared Tallent headlined a 48-strong Australian team announced Tuesday for next month's world athletics championships in London.

The country's largest world title squad since Seville in 1999 includes 20 debutants from the Olympic Games in Rio last year.

"It ensures that we are likely to see a competitive few months ahead as athletes seek nomination for selection to the Australia Commonwealth Games Team," Athletics Australia said.

The Commonwealth Games next year are on home soil at the Gold Coast.

Australia won two silvers at the last world championships in Beijing two years ago -- Tallent in the 50km walk and Fabrice Lapierre in the long jump.

Australia squad:

Men

400m: Steven Solomon

800m: Peter Bol

1500m: Ryan Gregson, Luke Mathews

5000m: Morgan McDonald, Sam McEntee, Patrick Tiernan

10000m: Patrick Tiernan

110m hurdles: Nicholas Hough

Long Jump: Henry Frayne, Fabrice Lapierre

Pole Vault: Kurtis Marschall

Shot Put: Damien Birkenhead

Javelin: Hamish Peacock

Decathlon: Cedric Dubler

20km walk: Dane Bird-Smith, Rhydian Cowley

50km walk: Jared Tallent

Marathon: Jack Colreavy, Josh Harris, Brad Milosevic

4x100m Relay: Nick Andrews, Rohan Browning, Tom Gamble, Alex Hartmann, Trae Williams

Women

200m: Ella Nelson

400m: Morgan Mitchell

800m: Georgia Griffith

1500m: Zoe Buckman, Georgia Griffith, Linden Hall

5000m: Madeline Hills, Eloise Wellings

10000m: Madeline Hills, Eloise Wellings

100m hurdles: Sally Pearson

400m hurdles: Lauren Wells

3000m steeplechase: Genevieve La Caze

Long Jump: Brooke Stratton

Discus: Dani Stevens

Javelin: Kathryn Mitchell, Kelsey-Lee Roberts

20km walk: Regan Lamble, Beki Smith, Claire Tallent

Marathon: Milly Clark, Sinead Diver, Jess Trengove

4x400m relay: Ella Connolly, Morgan Mitchell, Ella Nelson, Anneliese Rubie, Jess Thornton, Lauren Wells

Source: AFP