Australian Olympic Team

Victorian mother Maria Pekli has capped a comeback from retirement with selection for her fifth Olympics and is joined by fiance Daniel Kelly in Australia's judo team for Beijing.

A Sydney Olympic bronze medallist, Pekli, 35, left the sport to start a family with Kelly after an eighth placing in Athens four years ago.

The couple have a two-year-old son Erik who suffers from cystinosis, a genetic illness that attacks the kidneys, bone marrow and thyroid glands and requires 24-hour care.

Hungarian-born Pekli represented that country at the Barcelona and Atlanta Olympics before moving to Australia in 1996 and she said her Beijing selection was special.

"It feels excellent, this is what I have worked towards so hard for, so to be selected is fantastic," said Pekli.

Kelly will be going to his third Olympics, having competed in Sydney and Athens.

"I'm very excited," said Kelly. "I finished top eight in Athens so I would really like to step up from that this time."

Catherine Arlove, 37, is also heading to her third Olympics after being name in the 12-strong judo team, which includes eight Olympic debutants.

She's determined to improve on an impressive fifth placing in Athens four years later.

A competitive freestyle wrestler and track cyclist, Arlove is also a qualified physiotherapist, holds an MBA and is part way through a law degree.

Australian Olympic judo team:-

Women: 48kg - Tiffany Day (Qld), 52kg - Kristie-Anne Ryder (Qld), 57kg - Maria Pekli (Vic), 63kg - Catherine Arlove (Vic), 78kg - Stephanie Grant (Tas), +78kg - Janelle Shepherd (NSW)

Men: 60kg - Matthew D'Aquino (ACT), 66kg - Steven Brown (SA), 73kg - Dennis Iverson (Vic), 90kg - Daniel Kelly (Vic), 100kg - Matt Celotti (Vic), +100kg - Semir Pepic (NSW).

May 16, 2008 - 2:04PM