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Jana Pittman
World 400m hurdles champion Jana Pittman was ruled out of the Olympics after tearing her knee cartilage at Zurich Games.
Born: November 09, 1982
Country: Australia
Event: Track and Field (400m hurdles)
Records:
2003 World Championship: 1st in 400m hurdles
At the Youth Championships, for athletes under 18, Pittman won the 400m Hurdles and also made the final of the 400m.
Pittman equalled the world junior record for 400m hurdles in 1999 and was hailed as the new medal winner for Australia but she did not make it past the heats in the Sydney Olympics.
Pittman went on to win a rare double over 400m and 400m Hurdles at the World Junior event in Santiago. She ended the year on a high note as she won the IAAF 'Rising Star' Award.
Jana was currently ranked #1 on the IAAF Merit Rankings for 400m Hurdles and led the lists with her 53.76 PB from the Canberra A-Series meet.
Jana was possibly Australia's best chance of success at the Olympics but was ruled out of the Games when she tore her knee cartilage while warming up for the Zurich Golden League meeting.
She is to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair the tear and usually rule out any form of physical exercise or strain on the knee for at least two to three months.
