Reigning World Shot Put Champion Valerie Vili heads a strong team of eight named in the New Zealand Athletic Team to Beijing but long distance runner Michael Aish has missed out.

Despite Aish posting qualifying times in the marathon and 10 thousand metres she has missed selection.

Beijing 2008 will be Vili's second Olympic Games and team mates Nick Willis, Stuart Farquhar, Beatrice Faumuina and Kimberley Smith, also competed along side Vili at Athens in 2004.

First-timers Adrian Blincoe, James Dolphin and Nina Rillstone complete the line-up.

Faumuina is heading for her fourth Olympic Games.

Olympic Selector and New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General Barry Maister is delighted to welcome such a strong group of athletes to the New Zealand Olympic Team.

"New Zealand has a proud track and field heritage. New Zealand's first Olympic medal went to 3,500m walker Harry Kerr at London 1908 and Olympic track heroes including Murray Halberg, Peter Snell, John Walker and Lorraine Moller have inspired generations of New Zealanders. I know our athletics team to Beijing 2008 will make our nation proud," he said.

While Vili holds both the indoor and outdoor World Shot Put titles the other athletes named to the Olympic team today also have strong performance histories.

Smith is New Zealand's highest ranked track athlete coming in fifth in the world in the 10,000m.

She also finished fifth in the 10,000m at the world championships in Osaka last year and sixth in the 3000m at the World Indoor Championships in Valencia in March.

Willis, 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games 1500m Gold Medallist was a semi-finalist in the 1500m at the Athens Olympic Games and made the final of the 1500m at last year's World Championships where he finished 10th.

In addition to representing New Zealand at three Olympic Games, Faumuina was the 1997 World Discus Throw Champion, has competed at four Commonwealth Games winning Gold in the discus twice and has attended six World Championships, winning one.

The New Zealand Athletics Team to Beijing 2008 is:

Men: Adrian Blincoe - 5000m, James Dolphin - 200m, Stuart Farquhar - Javelin Throw, Nick Willis - 1500m.

Women:Beatrice Faumuina - Discus Throw, Nina Rillstone - Marathon, Kimberley Smith - 5,000 and 10,000m, Valerie Vili - Shot Put.

Further selection announcements may take place in June 2008.