Australian young gun Torrie Lewis knows she will need to put the fan girl persona aside when she takes on the sprinting big dogs at the world athletics championships in Budapest.
At 18, Lewis will be the youngest member of the 67-strong squad for the August 19-27 world titles.
The reigning 100m and 200m national champion qualified in both individual sprints and the 4x100m relay, but has opted out of the half-lap race after a suffering a hamstring injury in late June which hampered her preparation.
The loaded field for the blue-riband 100m includes defending champion and triple Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce from Jamaica and US track queen Sha'Carri Richardson.
"On one hand I'm going to want to watch everything they are doing, be a fan girl, and on the other hand I need to focus and do what I do," Lewis told AAP.
"It's going to be super hard but until I finish my race I'm going to try and block it out, treat it like just another race and try not to be nervous."
The Queenslander, who clocked her personal best of 11.23 seconds in Sydney in March, has set a target of reaching the semi-finals on her major championships debut.
She also has high hopes for the 4x100m relay as part of a promising squad which includes Bree Masters and Ella Connolly, who will contest the 100m and 200m respectively in Budapest.
"This year has been about getting a lot of experience in Europe - training and competing and living the life of a professional athlete and seeing if I actually enjoy it," said Lewis, who has been overseas since mid-May.
"I've never had this experience before and I've loved it."
The Australian squad is headlined by defending world champions Eleanor Patterson (high jump) and Kelsey-Lee Barber (javelin).
Other top medal hopes include Tokyo Olympics high jump silver medallist and 2023 world No.1 Nicola Olyslagers, pole vaulters Nina Kennedy and Kurtis Marschall, middle-distance star Jessica Hull, walker Jessica Montag and javelin thrower Mackenzie Little.
Patterson won gold in Eugene last year on return from a foot injury and comes into the Budapest world titles having undergone foot surgery earlier in 2023.
"Firstly, I am just genuinely so happy to be in one piece and back competing again," said the 27-year-old.
"I have been building well within my few competitions leading into worlds, and I would love to be able to defend my title.
"Obviously it hasn’t been an easy journey this year but I am confident in my abilities and shape coming into Budapest."
AUSTRALIAN SQUAD:
Men
100m: Rohan Browning, Jake Doran
200m: Aidan Murphy
800m: Peter Boll, Joseph Deng, Riley McGown
1500m: Stewart McSweyn, Adam Spencer, Matthew Ramsden
5000m: McSweyn, Morgan McDonald
110m hurdles: Jacob McCorry, Nicholas Andrews
3000m steeplechase: Matthew Clarke
High jump: Joel Baden, Brandon Starc
Pole vault: Kurtis Marschall
Long jump: Chris Mitrevski, Darcy Roper, Liam Adcock, Henry Frayne (one to be omitted)
Triple jump: Julian Konle, Aiden Hinson
Discus throw: Matthew Denny
Javelin throw: Cameron McEntyre
Decathlon: Ash Moloney, Cedric Dubler, Daniel Golubovic
20km walk: Declan Tingay, Kyle Swan, Rhydian Cowley
35km walk: Cowley
Women
100m: Bree Masters, Torrie Lewis
200m: Ella Connolly
800m: Catriona Bisset, Abbey Caldwell, Ellie Sanford
1500m: Jessica Hull, Linden Hall, Caldwell
5000m: Hull, Rose Davies, Lauren Ryan
Marathon: Lisa Weightman, Isobel Batt-Doyle, Sarah Klein
100m hurdles: Michelle Jenneke, Celeste Mucci, Hannah Jones
400m hurdles: Sarah Carli
3000m steeplechase: Amy Cashin, Cara Feain-Ryan, Brielle Erbacher
4x100m relay: Masters, Lewis, Connolly, Mucci, Kristie Edwards, Ebony Lane
High jump: Nicola Olyslagers, Eleanor Patterson, Erin Shaw
Pole vault: Nina Kennedy
Long jump: Brooke Buschkuehl, Samantha Dale
Discus: Taryn Gollshewsky
Hammer: Stephanie Ratcliffe
Javelin: Kelsey-Lee Barber, Mackenzie Little, Kathryn Mitchell
20km walk: Jemima Montag, Rebecca Henderson, Olivia Sandery
35km walk: Henderson, Allanah Pitcher.
