Valleys athlete Jonathan Wyatt has been confirmed in the New Zealand Olympic team for the Athens Games in August.

Jonno was among five athletes to be confirmed today by NZ track and field and Olympic selectors, with the possibility of more to be added. Another Valleys athlete, Nick Willis, has posted an Olympic B standard in the 1500m but has yet to be nominated for the Games.

Athens will be Jonno's second Olympics -- he competed with distinction in the 5000m at the Atlanta Games in 1996 before embarking on a successful mountain running career, during which he won three world titles.

Jonno is currently preparing for Athens by training at altitude in Austria.
He will be one of two New Zealand marathoners in Athens, along with Rotorua marathon winner and NZ 10k road champion Dale Warrender (Bays Cougars).

It will be a historic return to the marathon's roots in Athens, with the
2004 race starting in the town of Marathon and ending in the stadium used for the 1896 Olympics -- the first of the modern era.

The other NZ athletes named in the team are:
Beatrice Faumuina (discus)
Valerie Adams (Shot put)
Craig Barrett (50km road walk)