Bulli runner Ryan Gregson’s Olympic dream can become a reality tomorrow when he battles the stopwatch in Qatar to record a qualifying time for the London Games.
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Gregson will line up in the 1500m Diamond League race in Doha, needing to take 3sec off his fastest time this year to beat the 3min35.5sec cut-off.
The race will be run about 3am (AEST) tomorrow, with a 15-man field containing Asbel Kiprop and Silas Kiplagat - the two fastest men in the world last year.
As a result, Gregson believes it could be the race in which he books a place on the Olympic team.
‘‘The pace should be express so hopefully I can come up with something and get a good result,’’ Gregson said.
After an injury-marred past few years, Gregson signalled his intent by posting 3:58.51 at the Melbourne Track Classic earlier this year while running into a fierce headwind in the home straight.
In that race he powered past the 2008 Beijing Olympic silver medallist, New Zealander Nicholas Willis, and world champion Kiprop to win.
The Australian 1500m record-holder has since travelled to Mt Laguna in the United States for a high altitude training camp, then to the Penn Relays in Philadelphia, where he ran 3:55.60 for 1600m.
Two weeks ago the 22-year-old arrived in London before travelling to Doha yesterday for this weekend’s race.
He said the camp had provided the basis for his shot at glory in London.
‘‘It was a good solid training camp, no outstanding sessions and a good consistent block of work that will hopefully push me further along in my preparation,’’ he said.
Making the Olympic team would mean Gregson joining his cousin Casey Eastham (hockey) in London, as well as Wests Illawarra swimmer David McKeon, who will compete in the men’s 400m freestyle and 4x200m relay.
Wollongong triathlete Aaron Royle is also holding out hope of qualifying for the Australian Olympic team, if he can impress selectors at the ITU world series in San Diego, California on Sunday (AEST).
Royle is considered a dark horse for Olympic selection and is determined to bounce back from a disappointing 47th placing in the previous ITU race in Sydney last month.
He is battling it out with Brendan Sexton, Chris McCormack and Courtney Atkinson after winning the Oceania Championship event in New Zealand early this year.