The announcement of the athletes selected, including Commonwealth Games marathon bronze medallist Lisa Weightman and three-time Paralympic medallist Isis Holt, took place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The group, comprised of distance runners and four Para athletes, are the first of 111 who will form Australia's athletics team at Gold Coast 2018, due to take place from April 4 to 15.

Weightman, who ran a personal best time of 2 hours 25min 15sec at last year's London Marathon, claimed the Commonwealth Games bronze medal at Delhi 2010. 

The 39-year-old is among six marathon runners chosen to compete at the Games.

Liam Adams, Chris Hamer, Virginia Moloney, Michael Shelley and Jessica Trengove have also been selected.

Stewart McSweyn, Celia Sullohern and Patrick Tiernan are set to represent the host nation in the 10,000 metres event.

Holt, who, at 16, is expected to be among the youngest Australian athletes at Gold Coast 2018, won three Paralympic Games medals at Rio 2016, a silver in the T35 100m and 200m and bronze in the T35-38 4×100 m relay.

She is also a four-time world champion, having won the T35 100m and 200m at Doha in 2015 and London in 2017. 

Holt is joined on the Para athletics team by T38 long jumper Erin Cleaver, F38 shot put athlete Cameron Crombie, Madison Derozario, who competes in the T54 1,500m, and T38 100m sprinter Evan O'Hanlon.

"This announcement is very exciting, it’s the first announcement of the year, so it makes the Games feel very real and close," Australia Chef de Mission Steve Moneghetti, the 1994 Commonwealth Games gold medallist, said.

"Given I have a strong connection with athletics, I feel extremely humble to welcome these 14 athletes onto the Australian team for Gold Coast 2018."

Australia are expected to name the rest of their athletics squad by the end of next month after the trials in the Gold Coast, an event due to take place between February 15 and 18.