ROSE Davies says "this means everything to me".
Davies has been selected to run the women's 5000 metres at the Games in Tokyo later this month.
She followed up Saturday's announcement with a personal best time in a shorter 1500m race in Italy.
Davies, coached in Newcastle by Rio representative Scott Westcott, was still riding an Olympic high on Sunday.
"Being selected for the Olympics was an amazing feeling, although it hasn't sunk in yet and I don't think it will until it's all over," Davies told the Newcastle Herald from overseas.
"I am so excited to represent Australia and wear the green and gold.
"It has been a dream of mine to qualify for the Olympics since I started running when I was 10 years old, so achieving this means everything to me."
Davies left home in May bound for Europe with a Games berth the main goal.
She didn't have a qualifying time in any event despite being crowned national 10,000m champion from her Zatopek victory in Melbourne earlier this year.
She wasn't able to back it up in the 10,000m the following week and then shifted her attention to altitude training in the Swiss town of St. Moritz.
From a coaching perspective Westcott said Davies, now given the nod by Aussie selectors to compete in heats at the National Stadium on July 30, "couldn't pack much more into 10 weeks".
"When you consider the complications at the current time, it's been a real blessing she's been able to get away and it gave her the opportunity to run as fast as she did," Westcott said.
"And she did that within a week of being overseas. It was all the fitness she had from training around Newcastle, she stepped off the plane and ran her qualifier.
"The way she has made the most of her opportunity has been great and at 21 we hope she has a long career ahead of her.
"This is a great adventure ... and you couldn't pack much more into 10 weeks, qualifying for an Olympics and then doing them."
Davies said "preparation for the Games has been going smoothly". She heads to Finland next week for another warm-up competition before travelling to Japan.
Davies has welcomed well wishes from home.
"My family and friends have been great. They are all very happy and been so supportive of my journey so far," she said.
Davies, one of 22 rookies, will contest the women's 5000m alongside Izzy Batt-Doyle and Jenny Blundell.
The Australian track and field team of 63 marks the largest outside Sydney 2000 and Melbourne 1956.
