Kelsey-Lee Barber leads Canberra Olympic charge to Tokyo

The Canberra javelin star has announced herself as a genuine Tokyo medal contender in the past month, throwing a personal best 67.70 metres in Switzerland.

The timing of moving to 12^th on the all-time javelin throw list couldn't have been more perfect given Wednesday marked one year until the Tokyo opening ceremony.

Barber, who will be based in Europe until the world championships in September, leads a long list of Canberra athletes hoping to secure Olympic selection in the coming months.

The two-time Commonwealth Games medalist broke down in tears after finishing 28^th at the Rio Olympics three years ago, vowing to fight for a medal at her next opportunity.

"Coming away from Rio, there was always that fight in me to comeback and have a really good go at it," Barber said from Italy.

"I wanted to prove to myself that I was better than what I showed at Rio. That's always been a motivation for me.

"But I've been really lucky I've had other things going on in my life to balance out the training and life aspect. As much as I try to invest in training, I also take the time out to enjoy life and make the most of it."

Roberts has thrown two personal bests this year, also winning the Oceania championships with a 65.51 metre effort in Townsville earlier this year.

Hurdler Lauren Wells is considering a bid to qualify for a third Olympics despite scaling back her training after the Commonwealth Games last year.

Sprinter Melissa Breen has battled injuries in recent years, while BMX star Caroline Buchanan is hoping to make a comeback from horrific injuries.

Buchanan is still waiting for a medical clearance to return to competition after an off-road accident almost three years ago caused life-threatening injuries.

Buchanan, a multiple BMX and mountain bike world champion, has had several operations to repair her broken sternum but has recently returned to riding.

Barber is focused on training at the AIS European base in Varese before the world championships in Doha from September 28.

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"My next meet is on August 29 in Zurich and then maybe one after that before the world [championships]," Barber said.

"I said at the start of the year I felt like I was capable of throwing further. It's nice to put a number on the board because I've felt like there was a bigger throw there.

"There are always things you can work on or tweak. It's all tracking really well ... knowing I'm capable of those distances gives me confidence. But I'm not getting too carried away with the Olympics 12 months out."

Edwina Bone, Kalindi Commerford, Emily Chalker, Naomi Evans and Andrew Charter are competing for men's and women's hockey selection while Patty Mills will lead the men's basketball campaign.