Rawlinson has implants removed to improve Olympic chances

FORMER world 400m hurdles champion Jana Rawlinson has had her breast implants removed to improve her chances of winning gold at the London Olympics.

NEW START: Jana Rawlinson, pictured in 2007, with former husband and former British Olympic hurdler Chris. After their divorce the couple reunited and now plan to remarry (Getty Images)

The 27-year old, who struck gold in Osaka in 2007 as well Paris in 2003, underwent the augmentation after feeling unhappy with her athletic figure.

But the Australian admits removing the implants was necessary to give her the best chance of winning her first Olympic gold at London 2012.

"I don't want to short-change Australia," Rawlinson told the Woman's Day magazine.

"I want to feel the most athletic I can, to know I'm standing on the track in London the fittest I can be.

"I absolutely loved having bigger boobs but I've grown up enough to know myself and to be honest about who I am when I look in the mirror.

"There are a couple of girls - who I won't name - in world athletics who are Olympic champions, but they look like men and I don't want to be like that."

Despite going into both the Athens and Beijing Olympics as world champion, Rawlinson saw injury prevent her from making an impact at either Games.

A cartilage tear in her knee hampered the Australian's preparation for Athens while a toe injury forced her to pull out ahead of the Beijing Games.

But having made another comeback last season, Rawlinson is all-systems go for London with the first major stop at the Commonwealth Games in New Delhi in October where the Australian will go for her third consecutive 400m hurdles gold.