Pittman Returns As Shirvington Shows He's No Spent Force

A petrified Jana Pittman made a triumphant hurdling return on Australia Day as Matt Shirvington shredded his athletic obituary with a stunning sprint at the A-Series meeting in Canberra.

Shirvington, written off by many pundits as a sprinting force, claimed a 100m victory at the Australian Institute of Sport track, clocking 10.28 seconds - his fastest time over the distance since 2003.

Shirvington's feat came as West Australian Kym Howe set a new Commonwealth record for the women's pole vault and Pittman made a nervy but winning return to the 400m hurdles.

Pittman overcame an unlikely bout of nerves before a small Canberra crowd to clock 54.81 seconds - a time which gives her an A-qualifier for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in March. "I'm probably in the best shape I have ever been in but I haven't raced," Pittman said. "I was so nervous at the start my hands were absolutely jumpy. "I came to the fifth hurdle and I had jitters in my legs and I have never had that before in a race. "I haven't run a 400m hurdles for seven months so I was just petrified. "I was really worried my rhythm would go wrong ... I really had to rely on the fact that I have done this for a few years because after about 150 metres I was ready to stop."

Pittman's return was followed by Shirvington's shock victory in the 100m, the Victorian displaying form and pace absent since he suffered glandular fever in 2003.

Shirvington tipped Ambrose Ezenwa and Patrick Johnson into the minor placings in a victory the 27-year-old thought may never come again. "I have had such a terrible last three years ... but it's nice to be winning again," Shirvington said. "It has been such a long, hard road back. "I have had such a long time to think about this moment and I hope to God that I make a spot for the Commonwealths. "I haven't won a race, I mean, you saw me through the 2005 season and it was embarrassing a little bit." Shirvington said he "absolutely" thought he may never win again after his bout of glandular fever. "I expected to get rid of it in six weeks and it took me two and a half years," he said. Howe, 25, erased an injury-plagued 2005 by setting a new Commonwealth and Australian record today.

The childcare worker cleared 4.61m, surpassing Emma George's mark of 4.60m set in 1999.

Howe entered with a mindset that it was a mere trial for the Commonwealth Games selection meet in Sydney next week, surprising herself with her record vault. "Emma George used to train with us in Perth and I have always wanted to break her record which has stood since '99 I think, so it's a long time coming," she said. "I don't want to be known as number two, I want to be number one and get out there and win gold in Melbourne (at the Commonwealth Games)."

Some 19 athletes notched A-qualifiers for the Melbourne Games on Australia Day, including Clinton Hill, Sean Wroe and Chris Troode who all recorded theirs in a hotly contested 400m.