Athlete returns to award nomination

Australia’s number two finished sixth in the final, shaving one one-hundredth from her personal best to set the new 100m record at 13.30 seconds.

Despite the solid result, McCann started shakily and was almost disqualified from her opening run for false starting. With the first race acting as a qualifier for the final, there was no time to blow out the cobwebs.

‘It was a shaky start. I was last to the first hurdle and playing catch-up at that level isn’t ideal,’ she said.

But even with the slow start, she finished third and qualified easily for the final.

‘Once I had made the final I just went out there with nothing to lose. I nailed the start and walked off with a new state record and personal best,’ she said.

On arrival back in Australia she learned that she had been nominated for a 2013 Deadly Award, an annual event showcasing the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people across Australia. Winners will be announced in September.