The two-time national 100-metre and 200-metre women's champion was a notable omission from the 104 able-bodied and para-athletes included in the National Athlete Support Structure funding list, released on Wednesday.

Breen's training partner Lauren Boden and middle-distance runner Brett Robinson were both awarded with international status, while fellow Canberra athlete, 1500-metre runner Zoe Buckman, is in the world class two category.

Breen's personal best time of 11.25 seconds, set in March, is inside the standard for the development category, but it was deemed she could not improve enough to make the women's 100-metre final at the world championships or the 2016 Olympics.

It comes just over a year after Breen was granted a discretionary selection for the London Games because of her potential to be a finalist in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

''I am extremely disappointed at the outcome,'' Breen said.

''I will look at all options going forward and really hope something good comes out of this.''

As part of the selection criteria, athletes have to have the ''realistic capacity'' to reach the top eight of their event within four years.

Breen finished 27th at last year's Olympics in a time of 11.34 seconds, and fifth (11.47 seconds) in her heat at this year's world titles.

She would have needed to run a time of 11.08 seconds to have made the final - a gulf too big to cross, Athletics Australia high performance director, Simon Nathan, said.

''The decision is the same in every case: based on what we know about the athlete, are they realistically moving towards a top eight in the future? With the evidence we have right now, we can't see that [for Mel],'' Nathan said.

''She's in an incredibly competitive event and she's someone who has been to a number of major championships and finds that environment very challenging.

''It means she almost has to be even better to reproduce that at the championships.''

Athletes can have their case reviewed and can also be added to the funding program after next year's national titles.

The program has come about after changes to how sports receive government funding under the Australian Institute of Sport's Winning Edge initiative.

''We need to perform at the Olympics and the world championships, or the sport is at risk,'' Nathan said.

''The resources that we have, we have to put into the best bets.''

Buckman, Boden and Robinson were rewarded for breakout performances at this year's world championships.

Buckman finished seventh in the final of the women's 1500 metres, Boden made the semi-finals of the women's 400-metre hurdles, while Robinson showed his potential to qualify for the final of the men's 5000 metres.

Olympic 100-metre hurdles champion Sally Pearson and para-athlete world championship triple gold medallist Evan O'Hanlon are among seven athletes on the highest world class one level.