Sarah Carli has declared she's on track for the Paris Olympics with a dominant victory in the 400 metre hurdles at Saturday's Canberra Track Classic.
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The athlete's life was turned upside down three years ago, a freak gym accident leaving her with a severed carotid artery and fighting for her life. Upon emerging from surgery, doctors declared her Tokyo dream was over.
Carli, however, refused to give up that easily and six months later she stood on the start line for the 400m hurdles heats. Just being in Tokyo was a victory for Carli, however, her expectations for Paris are much higher.
"I'm looking forward to going to the Olympics and being there in my best shape," Carli said.
"That was the plan we had for Tokyo, we planned to arrive in my best shape.
"This will be the Olympics the last Olympics should have been. I'm excited to get to the start line and prove what I'm made of."
![Hurdler Sarah Carli has her sights set on a smooth run to the Paris Olympics. Picture by Keegan Carroll Hurdler Sarah Carli has her sights set on a smooth run to the Paris Olympics. Picture by Keegan Carroll](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/5c15e6dd-9d7b-405a-abd1-dac907de3c00.jpg/r0_333_5000_3155_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Carli's win came on a high-quality afternoon, with Claudia Hollingsworth running an Olympic qualifier and breaking Tamsyn Manou's meet record in the women's 800m. Runner-up Bendere Oboya also ran a Paris qualifier.
Australian record holder Torrie Lewis claimed the women's 100m in a time of 11.31 seconds, while Joshua Azzopardi took out the men's 100m in 10.53 seconds.
Adding to the importance of 2024 for Carli is her age, the 29-year-old recognising she may not have another opportunity to compete at an Olympics as she starts to ponder life after athletics.
![Torrie Lewis claimed the women's 100m at the Canberra Track Classic. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Torrie Lewis claimed the women's 100m at the Canberra Track Classic. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/fc937b90-b320-431b-8a67-30eedc0f60cf.jpg/r0_266_5200_3201_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
It's a situation all athletes face, but it's particularly notable for female Olympians navigating financial uncertainty and long-term life goals.
"It's a hard question," she said.
"It's financial and how much of my life is wrapped in sport. I'm getting to the point in my life where I'm turning 30 - how much longer can I keep living off a part-time salary? It's tough out there, there are not a lot of resources out there for athletes.
"It's something to weigh up but not a decision to make now. I'm not putting anything in stone and if I'm still running fast, I'll keep going."