Commonwealth Games-bound Keely Small has a huge call to make as she weighs up a Youth Olympic Games berth and a the lure of a world under 20s championship.
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The 16-year-old was a shock selection for next month's Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and now she has booked her ticket to the Youth Olympic Games in Argentina in October.
That is, if she decides to go there. Small has also qualified for the IAAF world under 20 championships in Tampere, Finland, in July.
The Canberra athlete set an Australian junior championships meet record with 2:04.70 in the under 18 women's 800m at Sydney Olympic Park on Friday.
The gold medallist earned a Youth Olympics and world u20 qualifying standard alongside silver medallist Jaylah Hancock-Cameron (NSW) and bronze medallist Rose Pittman (South Australia).
"It was just a good hit-out which ended up being the third fastest time I've ever done in the 800m, so that's pretty good leading into Comm Games," Small said.
"The time was both a Youth Olympics and world under 20 qualifier. I haven't picked which event I'm going to do this year, I've still got another couple of weeks to decide that.
"Athletics Australia say they can't select you for both purely because of the fact that it's probably not right to peak that many times a year so they don't like to get juniors to do both.
"I'm pretty lucky that I have the opportunity to do under 20s when I'm 19 because it comes around every second year. I'll make that decision in the next couple of weeks."
The year 11 student took a week off school to focus all of her energy into chasing the 800m national championship title on the Gold Coast last month but things didn't go to plan when she finished last.
But selectors showed faith in one of Australia's brightest young athletes in adding her to the Commonwealth Games team - which means Small will need some more time off school in April.
Small is getting used to having more time off school than her St Clare's College classmates - but it is "not a holiday at all".
Rather than soaking up the sun on the Gold Coast and enjoying the sights of Argentina or Finland, Small will be chasing gold on the track.
"Being in year 11 it's a lot tougher than it was last year but the school helps me out a heap with it," Small said.
"I'm just getting done what I can before I go, not stressing about it and I'll deal with it when I come back.
"I'm just trying to keep the training the same I have been, just keeping it consistent. The next race will be in Brisbane on the 28th of March. I'll be in the Comm Games camp at that time and then I'll go and race that. I'll head to the village on April 2, so that will be pretty much the last event."
Small is the fastest female aged under 18 in the world after she clocked a remarkable time of 2:01.46 minutes last year.
