David McNeill and Eloise Wellings have become the first Australians to guarantee spots on the athletics team for the 2016 Rio Olympics after winning the national 10,000m titles in Melbourne.
McNeill powered away from pre-race favourite Brett Robinson with three laps to go in the men's race and crossed the line to win in 28 minutes 03.69 seconds.
Although it was a few seconds outside the qualifying mark of 28 minutes, McNeill will definitely be going to Rio as he had bettered the standard at a meet in California earlier this year.
Robinson faded in the closing laps to finish second in 28:24.49.
Wellings clocked a winning time of 32:02.61 in the women's race on Saturday night, well inside the qualifying mark of 32:15.
The 33-year-old made a belated Olympic debut three years ago in London after stress fractures in her foot cruelled her bids to qualify for the previous three Games.
It was a great night for Nic Bideau who coaches McNeill and Wellings.
"Nothing rivals this in terms of achievements in 2015," said McNeill who missed qualification in the 10,000m for the 2015 world titles by just one hundredth of a second.
"I started with Nic in September last year.
"He told me it might not click all together right at the start and I was conscious of that.
"I thought whatever happens for the first year, just stay healthy, get through it.
"There were times when I lost sight of that a little bit but I regrouped and realised I had made a lot of progress."
It will be a second Olympics for McNeill although he will expect to improve on his 2012 campaign when he was injured in the lead-up and was run out in the heats of the 5000m.
Wellings also hopes to contest the women's 5000m in Rio, but the longer event will be the priority as it comes first on the program.
Training partners Genevieve LaCaze and Melissa Duncan did the pacemaking duties at Lakeside Stadium, before leaving Wellings to run the last 10 laps on her own at the front.
"I knew I was on pace and it's hard not to tighten up because you don't want to stuff it up," said Wellings.
"When you are so far under (the qualifying time), 20 seconds ahead, it's like 'oh gosh, I don't want to screw it up now, that would be really embarrassing'.
"So there was a bit of pressure there but I just tried to focus on my form and my breathing, making sure I was relaxed."
Wellings was 20th in the 10,000m at the London Olympics and expects a much-better showing in Rio.
"I did take absolutely no risks with London," she said.
"I took about 30 per cent off my mileage so that I wouldn't get hurt before the event and that paid on race day because that was the kind of sacrifice I was willing to make to actually just get to the line that time.
"In Rio, it will be a bit more businesslike and I will take a few more risks."
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