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Pittman aims for Winter Olympics

Pittman aims for Winter Olympics
Photograph Copyright : Getty Images

Australian hurdler Jana Pittman is targeting a third Olympics, looking to qualify for the bobsleigh team at the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.

Pittman, who was the youngest ever 400m hurdles world champion when she won the title in 2003, competed for Australia at the Sydney and Athens Games, but had her quest for Olympic gold cruelled by a series of injuries.

A knee injury on the eve of the 2004 Olympics saw her battle to a fifth place finish, before she missed the 2008 Games in Beijing with a toe injury.

The 29-year-old succumbed to a foot injury before this year's London Olympics, but has recovered and is turning her focus to the winter edition of the Games.

Pittman, who has also expressed her desire to represent Australia in rowing at the 2016 Games in Rio, has been handpicked to trail as a brakewoman for the bobsleigh team under the guidance of pilot Astrid Radjenovic.

"Astrid and I actually grew up together," Pittman said.

"We used to race 400m hurdles together as teenagers in Sydney and have been friends ever since.

"I am getting to the end of my (athletics) career and I wanted to stay involved in sport. I had tried a few other things like rowing but I really just didn't want to give up running. Bobsled still lets me train like an athlete but it is actually much better suited to my body.

"To push the sled you need to be as big and muscly as possible. I'm six foot and was always really too big for hurdles but this is perfect. I get to run and I am not getting injured."

Pittman will have her first audition on the ice in a World Cup event in Altenberg, Germany on December 31 with her first practice run just two days prior.

"I haven't been on the ice (track) yet but I have absolutely no fear of it," Pittman said.

"I'm a bit of a daredevil - an adrenaline junkie - I just can't wait to get out there and do it."

Track stars switching to bobsleigh is nothing new with world-class hurdler Lolo Jones recently selected for the USA team, which also includes Olympic sprinting gold medallist Tianna Madison.

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