Pittman, who has never won an Olympic medal after seeing her campaigns at Athens in 2004 and Beijing last year both ruined by injury, made the claim in an interview published in tomorrow's edition of the Sydney Morning Herald.

 

She said: 'To be perfectly honest with you, I'll probably change sports.

 

''I always hoped I would run well in Beijing and double up [win a second gold medal] in London.

 

"I may not stay in athletics, I haven't decided yet. I will definitely run the hurdles in London.

 

"If I do win in London, there's no chance of me changing, I'll keep running through to Rio in the same sport.

 

''Otherwise I'll probably change to triathlon or something like that.''

 

Pittman, 26, has never competed in the triathlon, which consists of a 1500 metres swim, 40 kilometres cycle ride and 10km run, but claimed that she is proficient in all the events already.

 

She said: ''With all the injuries I've had, I do so much work in the pool and on the bike, rehab-wise.

 

''I've done a 10K road race and a 60K road race on the bike and I've swum 1500 metres in a race.

 

''I know what all of my PBs (personal bests) are, it's just a matter of whether I can back them all up together.

 

''I know I already love it, I absolutely love cycling.

 

''I haven't trained for it [the triathlon], so basically I'll get through London and see where my heart is.''

 

Since claiming her second world title in Osaka two years ago, Pittman has endured a torrid spell through injury and personal problems, including getting divorced from her British husband, Chris Rawlinson.
 
Complications from a foot injury ruled her out of the Beijing Olympics and a back-related complaint prevented the her from defending her world title in Berlin in August.
 
She is now back in full training under new coach Craig Hilliard and looking forward to a heavy racing programme in the Australian summer for the first time in several years.

 

Pittman is drawing inspiration from Dame Kelly Holmes and Usain Bolt as she hopes London 2012 will be third time lucky.

 

She said: ''Usain Bolt had three years in a row where he was out injured and now look at what he's done.

 

"Kelly Holmes is the same.

 

''The reason those guys are so consistently good is because they went through adversity and came up trumps.

 

''If everything came so easily on a platter, one, it wouldn't mean as much and secondly, I don't think it would happen.

 

"You need something to be hard or to overcome [obstacles] for it to mean something to you.

 

''Having two years off, the way it's happened, you say to yourself, 'I don't want that to happen again'.

 

''Even if it happens again next year it won't stop my ambition, which is London.

 

"I've got all the medals in the world but I'm missing the one which means the most to me.''

 

 

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