A promising young javelin thrower who won gold at the World Youth Games for Australia could end up competing for the United States at the Rio Olympics. Nineteen-year-old Mackenzie Little won gold at those games in 2013 but unless there is an injury she will not make the Australian team for Rio. 
Little was born in the US but lived all of her life in Australia and has competed for Australia internationally. She moved to the US in   September last year when she earned a scholarship to study medicine at Stanford University.
Australia chose to name three athletes for the javelin - former world silver medallist Kim Mickle, Kathryn Mitchell and Kelsey Lee Roberts - three months ahead of the Olympic cut-off date.
Roberts has been battling back stress problems, Mickle is returning from shoulder surgery and Mitchell missed the national titles with an injury so it was surprising Australia filled all three javelin positions so far out from the   July 12 date for the team to be finalised.
None of the athletes competed at the national titles and so had not earned automatic qualification, but all have thrown in excess of the 62 metres Olympic qualifying distance. Little had alerted Athletics Australia earlier this year that she was returning to competition and wished to be considered for Olympic selection but has not yet thrown the Olympic qualifying distance.
At the weekend she threw 55.88m for Stanford University in her first throw in two years. Little did not compete in 2014 as she studied her HSC and last year had a leg injury. Having thrown 61.47m as a 16-year-old to win the world youth gold medal, she has scope for rapid improvement.
If Little were to throw the qualifier but be unable to make the Australian team she could be picked for the American team if she were to compete at the US track and Field Olympic trials and finish in the top three there.
Little declined to comment to Fairfax Media about her situation and the possibility of her potentially seeking to compete for the US. Her mother and her coach also declined to comment.
Athletics Australia head coach Craig Hilliard, who is not a team selector, said he expected all three named throwers to be fit for Rio. "[Mackenzie] is a very promising young athlete and we would prefer she stayed representing Australia as her choice," Hilliard said.
"Those three athletes chosen already are highly ranked, world-ranked athletes. I know Mackenzie sent an email to AA saying the three spots are taken but if I throw the distance what would happen?
"If one of those spots opened up through injury then I would expect she would be considered - that is a question for Dion Russell, the chairman of selectors."