Nail-biting wait ends in celebration

There were tears of joy and a huge sigh of relief as West Australian pair Vicky Parnov and Shannon McCann were added to the athletics team for the Commonwealth Games yesterday.

Pole vaulter Parnov, 23, and 100m hurdler McCann, 25, had a nervous wait before they learnt they would join fellow locals Kim Mickle (javelin), Lyndsay Pekin (400m hurdles), Zoe Timmers (high jump), Liz Parnov (pole vault) and para-athletes Madison de Rozario (T54 1500m) and Ella Pardy (T37/38 long jump) at the Games.

Parnov and McCann earned discretionary places from the selectors after they recorded B-qualifying marks this year.

For Parnov, it is a chance to compete alongside younger sister Liz at a major international championship for the first time. Vicky went to the Melbourne Games in 2006, but was out of action for New Delhi in 2010.

Parnov sees her return to the Australian team as a comeback from her career high point in 2008.

"I was in tears of joy," she said.

"It's been so long since I made a team and I feel like it's my comeback and it's so good to be back.

"This year I am finally back to my best level and hopefully go better than that in the season in Europe.

"It's a bit of a milestone for our family."

McCann said it was a relief to be heading to the biggest competition of her career so far after heartbreak when she missed out on New Delhi, despite recording a B-qualifying time.

"I really needed to make this team to prove to myself that I can keep building and climbing and can go bigger and better in the next few years to make that Olympic dream a reality (in 2016)," she said.

"I definitely think there's a long way to go before I hit anywhere near my potential."

McCann said she wants to better her best time of 13.15sec. in Glasgow.

"I want to make the final and then with hurdles anything can happen once you're in that final," she said.