Men's 800m causes Rio selection headache

The men's 800m shapes as the contentious track and field event for Australia's Olympics selectors, who'll be forced to pick two athletes from the trio still vying for a Rio berth.

Athletics Australia (AA) will meet on Tuesday to decide on the makeup of the team at the end of the qualifying period.

The peak body's main conundrum surrounds the men's two-lap event, which has the potential to be the source of an appeal.

Rising star Luke Mathews is a guaranteed starter in Rio, having won the national title in April.

With Mathews taking one of Australia's three 800m spots, Jeff Riseley, Peter Bol and Joshua Ralph are fighting to fill the remaining two.

All have bettered the Rio qualifying mark of one minutes 46.00 seconds.

On current form Bol has a strong case, having qualified a fortnight ago in Germany via a 1:45.78 personal best before backing it up with a 1:46.53 run in Belgium.

Riseley's speedy qualifying time of 1:44.99 is the fastest of everyone, including Mathews.

However that result came in July last year, a month before a plantar fascia injury forced the two-time Olympian to withdraw from his semi-final at the Beijing world championships and sit out the entire domestic season.

Ralph also ran his 1:45.79 qualifier last year in August, though he's been in consistent form and did contest the national championships.

His latest result was a 1:46.69 in Spain four days ago.

In Riseley's favour is his promising comeback - a fortnight ago he ran a 1:47.34 in Finland followed by a 1:46.67 in Belgium over the weekend.

But time appears to be up for national record holder Alex Rowe, who has no other races scheduled before Monday's cut-off.

London Games 400m finalist Steve Solomon will get one more shot at the qualifying mark of 45.40 when he races in Belgium on Monday.

In other results, Olympic-qualified Patrick Tiernan won the 5000m at a British Milers Club meet in England, clocking 13:43.84 to comfortably beat fellow Australian Rio hopeful Collis Birmingham, who came ninth in 14:23.48.

Australia expects to send a team of more than 60 track and field athletes to Rio.