Reath heading to Monaco as he awaits Olympic selection

The final cut-off for international Olympic selection was June 30 with an announcement on the Australian athletics team expected early to be made sometime this week.

Reath and coach Paul Cleary will fly out of Australia on Sunday after Reath, currently ranked equal 12^th in the world in the high jump, was invited to compete at the Monaco Diamond League event on July 12.

The 24-year-old last competed on June 5 where he took out the Oceania Championships final in Fiji with a jump on 2.28m. His personal best jump in Japan earlier in the season saw him win the Seiko Golden Grand Prix, defeating many of the world's best jumpers.

Reath said he was excited about heading to Europe this week, having rested the past month after a hectic schedule.

"I'm feeling pretty good, everything is moving really well," he said. "This month has definitely given me a chance to get my body, particularly my knee, a chance to heal up.

"I'm completely pain free, it was just a bit of wear and tear, there's been a lot of use on it, but I've had plenty of time to rest and let it recover."

On Sunday he received news he would be competing in Monaco.

"I only got the call yesterday (Sunday) from my manager that Monaco Diamond League has accepted me to compete, it'll be my Diamond League debut, it's so exciting.

"Paul and I were ready to go to Germany to do a street meet, but now the Diamond League have accepted me, we've changed our plans and we'll definitely take that opportunity.

"We've got a few weeks away, we're just sort of waiting for the Olympic team to be announced. But hopefully if everything goes well in Monaco, I can then get an invite to London, then the Olympics and then there's another Diamond League in Rome after that."

Up to four Ballarat athletes could be chosen in the Olympic and Paralympic teams including veteran javelin thrower Kathryn Mitchell. Should Mitchell earn selection, she would compete at her fourth Olympic Games.

Mitchell has not been seen on the international stage since she failed to register a legal throw at a Diamond Gala event in China on April 27. However, she does have a season's best throw of 62.12m which she threw at the Maurie Plant event in Melbourne in February. She was also the silver medalist at the national championships in Adelaide on April 13.

Sprinter Cooper Sherman is close to earning his own ticket to Paris after running in a series of 400m races throughout June in Europe.

The 20-year-old's best time in his four runs in Europe was a 46.26 seconds in Bilbao in Spain on June 18. He also run in Belgium and Portugal where he ran consistent times, but failed to break his personal best of 45.71 seconds.

Sherman is the Australian champion at the distance and should selectors decide to choose an individual runner, he would be among the leading contenders for an individual spot.

Buninyong's Sam Rizzo looks to have already booked his ticket to the Paralympics having this season broken the Australian 1500m T54 record which was previously held by Kurt Fearnley. He also made the final of the 1500m event at the World Para Championships in Japan in May.

Former Ballarat Clarendon College student Stewart McSweyn also looks to have already booked his Paris ticket with consistent performances in middle distance running from 1500m up to 5000m.