Athletics: Hurdler relaxed

New Zealand's top female 400m hurdler Rebecca Wardell skipped the obstacles as she made a relaxed start in Perth to her quest to run at the Athens Olympics.

Wardell and Melbourne flatmate Jana Pittman - the 400m hurdles world champion - started their Telstra A Series campaign running against the men in a flat 300m race.

Pittman finished fourth in 37.31 seconds, one place ahead of Wardell, who recorded 39.61s. West Australian Mark Blatchford won in a time of 36.01s.

Wardell, who has passed the International Olympic Committee B standard, cranks up her season on January 23 when the series moves to Brisbane.

There she will be joined by New Zealand Olympic hopefuls Jane Arnott (200m), Paul Hamblyn, Tom Osborne, Ben Ruthe (1500m), long jumper Chantal Brunner, pole vaulter Melina Hamilton, Nic O'Brien (400m hurdles), Grant Knaggs (high jump), 800m runner Gareth Hyett and former discus world champion Beatrice Faumuina, who has already met the A criteria for Greece.