 Pickering will be one of 21 athletes making their Olympic debut |
Sprinters Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar have been named in Britain's finalised Olympic squad for Beijing. The 100m runners had been in limbo while waiting for the outcome of Dwain Chambers' ultimately unsuccessful appeal against his Olympic ban. Steeplechaser Andrew Lemoncello, 110m hurdler Allan Scott and high jumper Martyn Bernard complete the men's team. Stephanie Twell and Jenny Meadows, who set personal bests in Paris on Friday, are added to the women's team. Just six days after winning the world junior 1500m title, Twell took a second off her PB at the Paris Golden League, clocking four minutes 05.83 seconds. Meadows lowered her lifetime best over 800m to 1:59.11, while Lemoncello also set a PB at the same meeting to confirm his selection.  | This has been one of the strangest weeks of my life and I don't ever want another one like it |
The women's squad also sees new British record holder, Montell Douglas, and Laura Turner added to the 100m, Jemma Simpson joining Meadows and Marilyn Okoro in the 800m, and Susan Scott selected ahead of Hannah England in the 1500m. Sarah Claxton and Zoe Derham are picked as the sole representatives in the 100m hurdles and hammer respectively. Rikki Fifton and Dale Garland have been added to the men's 4x400m squad with Vicki Barr and Donna Fraser added to the women's relay team. Teenager Ashlee Nelson will join her brother Alex, who is running in the 200m, in Beijing after earning selection for the 4x100m squad. Twell, one of 21 athletes making their Olympic debut in the 68-strong squad, said: "Finding out I have been named in the Olympic team is a moment I will cherish all my life. "I want to be able to go as far as possible in the competition, not be overwhelmed by it and learn from the experience."  Twell (right) aims to emulate mentor Kelly Holmes and become an Olympic star |
Pickering and Edgar finished third and fourth in the final of the 100m Olympic trials behind Chambers and Simeon Williamson, but had to wait for news of their selection while Chambers appealed against his lifetime Olympic ban, with Williamson initially the only athlete selected. Chambers was banned under BOA rules from future Games after testing positive for the steroid THG in 2003. He had argued that the ban was an unfair restraint of trade and the 30-year-old had taken his case to secure an injunction against the British Olympic Association by-law to the High Court. However, Friday's ruling went against him and the deadline for naming finalised Olympic squads left him no realistic room to appeal. Edgar admitted: "This has been one of the strangest weeks of my life and I don't ever want another one like it. "I would have preferred a smoother ride, but it has been like a rollercoaster. But athletics is like that, you get the ups and downs. "I'm just thankful the court case is over and grateful for the opportunity. "I've been getting a bit irritated with all the questions about it, but now I just want to forget about it and look forward to Beijing." | 606: DEBATE |
UK Athletics performance director Dave Collins oversaw the final selections and, with just a five-medal target, he says every athlete has their own personal goals. "We now look forward to Beijing, where each athlete has their own individual targets to meet and perhaps, exceed," Collins said. "Some will be gunning for medals, others will be looking to grasp this huge opportunity to learn from and develop into a podium level athlete in the near future." The British Olympic Association will submit their final squad selections on Sunday.
GB Athletics squad for Beijing: MEN 100m: Simeon Williamson, Craig Pickering, Tyrone Edgar
200m: Marlon Devonish, Christian Malcolm, Alex Nelson
400m: Martyn Rooney, Andrew Steele
800m: Michael Rimmer
1500m: Andy Baddeley, Tom Lancashire
5000m: Mo Farah
Marathon: Dan Robinson
3000m steeplechase: Andrew Lemoncello
110m hurdles: Allan Scott, Andy Turner
High jump: Martyn Bernard, Germaine Mason, Tom Parsons
Pole vault: Steve Lewis
Long jump: Greg Rutherford, Chris Tomlinson
Triple jump: Phillips Idowu, Larry Achike, Nathan Douglas
Decathlon: Daniel Awde
4x100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Tyrone Edgar, Rikki Fifton, Craig Pickering, Simeon Williamson
4x400m: Michael Bingham, Richard Buck, Dale Garland, Martyn Rooney, Andrew Steele, Rob Tobin WOMEN 100m: Montell Douglas, Jeanette Kwakye
200m: Emily Freeman
400m: Lee McConnell, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders
800m: Jenny Meadows, Marilyn Okoro, Jemma Simpson
1500m: Lisa Dobriskey, Susan Scott, Stephanie Twell
5000m: Jo Pavey
10000m: Jo Pavey, Kate Reed
3000m steeplechase: Helen Clitheroe, Barbara Parker
Marathon: Paula Radcliffe, Mara Yamauchi, Liz Yelling
100m hurdles: Sarah Claxton
400m hurdles: Tasha Danvers
Pole vault: Kate Dennison
Long jump: Jade Johnson
Discus: Philippa Roles
Hammer: Zoe Derham
Javelin: Goldie Sayers
Heptathlon: Kelly Sotherton
20k walk: Johanna Jackson
4x100m: Emma Ania, Montell Douglas, Jeanette Kwayke, Ashlee Nelson, Anyika Onuora, Laura Turner
4x400m: Vicki Barr, Donna Fraser, Lee McConnell, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders
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