Ultra-consistent Australian walker Chris Erickson has booked a berth at a third straight Olympics after winning the national 50km title.
Erickson was second across the line behind Canadian Evan Dunfee in Sunday's race in Melbourne in a time of three hours 54 minutes and 10 seconds.
Having finished 13th in the 50km race at the world championships earlier this year in Beijing, the 34-year-old Erickson has now done enough to gain automatic qualification for the 2016 Olympics.
He will be joined on the 50km start-line in Rio by countryman Jared Tallent, who is expected to be the defending champion.
Tallent finished second behind convicted Russian drug cheat Sergey Kirdyapkin in London, with an appeal currently before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
If successful, the gold medal will be awarded to Tallent.
Erickson was thrilled to secure an automatic berth on the Rio Games team where he will contest his favoured 50km race for the first time at Olympic level.
"It's a great feeling to know that I have the chance to be a three-time Olympian, but it will be like competing for the first time again because I'll get the chance to race the 50 kilometres," he said.
"The aim is still to put myself in the position to do the (20km and 50km) double.
"We'll see how we go."
Regan Lamble (1:30:45) was the fastest of four Australian women who all bettered the 20km standard in the national 20km race.
The others were Stephanie Stigwood, Rachel Tallent and Tanya Holliday - although only thee can contest the event in Rio.
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