The New Nation - Internet Edition

AFP, Sydney

Australia will send its second- largest team of 434 athletes to an overseas Olympics for next month's Beijing Games, the Australian Olympic Committee said Friday.

Only the 482-member team which represented Australia at the 2004 Athens Games ranks larger, while the country's biggest team was assembled for the home 2000 Sydney Games with 632 athletes, the AOC said.

Australia, with a population of 21 million, is aiming to finish among the top five nations on the medals standings after finishing fourth in Sydney and Athens.

AOC director of sport Fiona de Jong said a top-five finish was achievable.

"It's going to be tough t (but) our athletes will do us proud in Beijing," de Jong said.

De Jong said the main challenges would be medical problems and dealing with the heat and humidity in the Chinese capital.

"But we are used to operating in challenging conditions," she said.

Australia will also send a 75-strong medical contingent.

Local bookmakers are favouring Australia to win between 13 to 15 gold medals and 41 to 50 medals in all.

Australia achieved its best Olympic Games gold medal haul in Athens with 17 in 2004, while the country's best overall tally of medals was 58 at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The AOC late Friday used its discretion to add 1500m runner Jeff Riseley to the track and field team after he recorded an A qualifier time last weekend in Rome.

Rower James Tomkins will be competing at his sixth Olympics, while five others will be contesting their fifth Games-shooters Michael Diamond and Russell Mark, kayaker Clint Robinson and cyclists Stuart O'Grady and Shane Kelly.

Equestrian Laurie Lever is the oldest Australian athlete, making his Olympic debut at age 60, while swimmer Emily Seebohm is the youngest at 16 years, just a matter of weeks older than fellow swimmer Cate Campbell and diver Melissa Wu.

Rowing is the largest component of the Australian team with 48 members ahead of swimming (43) and track and field (40). Australia will for the first time have a boat in each of the 14 events.

Three of the athletes have competed at previous Olympics for other countries-Lalita Yauhleuskaya (shooting) for Russia, Maria Pekli (judo) for Hungary and Semir Pepic (judo) for the Slovak Republic.

A total of 43 athletes competing for Australia next month were born outside the country.

Three athletes are appealing against their omission from the team-modern pentathlete Angie Darby, cyclist Chris Jongewaard and sprinter Patrick Johnson.