Pearson running a check on rivals

Melbourne World 100 metres hurdles champion Sally Pearson has been provided with extra motivation for this week's Australian Olympic Trials by the inclusion of American Yvette Lewis.

Pan-Am Games gold medallist Lewis was a late entrant for the Melbourne Track Classic, which forms part of the IAAF World Challenge tour and this year doubles as the Australian selection meet for the upcoming London Games. The two-day event concludes today.

"It's exciting to have more international athletes come out," Pearson said on Thursday. "She's [Lewis'] definitely going to keep me on my toes in that race ... I know she's been running quite well indoors as well, so we'll just see what happens."

Pearson, who won silver at the Beijing Olympics, earned the world title at Daegu last year before being named IAAF International Female Athlete of the year to cap a remarkable 2011 and cement her as a favourite to win gold at London in July.

As the reigning world champion, Pearson is already guaranteed a start in the 100m hurdles in the Olympics, but she has elected to also contest the 100m and 200m at Melbourne's new Lakeside Stadium as part of her training for the March 9-11 IAAF world indoor championships at Istanbul.

"We're using [Melbourne] more as a training run to get ready for the indoors so I don't need to train too much next week, but at the same time I do want to run well, especially in the 200 I want to break that 23-second barrier," she said.

Australian middle-distance hopeful Jeff Riseley will contest both the 800m and 1,500m races at Melbourne, with some distinguished company alongside him in 1,500m Olympic and world champion Asbel Kiprop and 800m world champion and record holder David Rudisha — both from Kenya.

Strong field

"Having the Kenyans here makes it a completely different race," Riseley said. "It's not just an Olympic trial — it's more of a time trial."

Henry Frayne — having jumped an impressive 8.27 metres in Sydney last month — is aiming to contest both the long jump and triple jump in London. The strong long jump field today also features Daegu silver medallist Mitchell Watt and reigning Commonwealth champion Fabrice Lapierre.

Pole vaulter Alana Boyd has also emerged as an Olympic medal chance after setting the Oceania indoor record with 4.76 metres at an inter-club competition this week.

"You have so many great Australian athletes coming up at the moment, like Henry Frayne and Alana Boyd," Pearson said. "We have some definite medal chances coming through the ranks and I don't think the sport has been in a better position [in Australia] really."