Pittman tipped for speedy recovery

Jana Pittman, Australia's 400-metre hurdles world champion and best hope for Olympic athletics gold, could still run at Athens after having surgery on her right knee.

Pittman's coach Phil King is optimistic his charge will be fit for the Games after she sustained the injury at Friday's Golden League meeting in Zurich.

"We're back in the mix," King said.

"It was nowhere near as bad as first interpreted. The surgeon quoted there was a 60 per cent chance of running in Athens."

Australian Olympic team chiefs will give Pittman, who was originally told she would be out for four months, as much time as possible to recover in time for the Games.