SYDNEY, July 20: Australia will send its biggest away squad of 482 athletes to next month's Athens Olympic Games, the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) announced here on Tuesday.

AOC president John Coates released the team and said his committee's aim was to finish in the top five of the overall medal count in Athens. Australia won 58 medals - 16 gold, 25 silver and 17 bronze - in finishing fourth on the medal tally at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Australia has qualified in 27 of the 28 sports on the Olympic program - handball missed out - and ranked behind only hosts Greece and the United States in team sports representation.

"I'm very excited about this team and all the signs are very encouraging that Australia will again finish in the top five nations at the Olympics," Coates said. Coates said the AOC was at this stage $1.5 million (US$1.1 million) short of its $34 million (US$25 million) sponsorship target in an overall Games budget of $79 million (US$58 million).

Coates originally released total athlete numbers of 486 but discovered during the press conference that the 4x400m women's track relay team had not qualified for the Olympics, taking four off the aggregate. Two athletes, equestrian Andrew Hoy and sailor Colin Beashel, will be competing at their sixth Olympics. -AFP