The feud between top Australian athletes Jana Pittman and Tamsyn Lewis has escalated with more verbal barbs traded between the pair.

The track runners appeared to bury the hatchet at the national trials in Sydney when they shared a hug after Lewis beat Pittman in a 400m race, but tensions have risen after an outburst by Lewis on Triple M radio.

"With the cat fight, the bitch fight and whatever else was being said and after the heats she came out and said there was no competition so I was standing behind the blocks saying `I'll give you competition bitch'," said Lewis.

The comment struck a nerve with world champion hurdler Pittman.

"It's a joke," Pittman said on the Nine Network.

"Definitely no way I would have come out before the race and say I was going to beat her and post beating her I don't rub it in but different people have different personalities."

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