Davis handed Athens place Full GB track and field squad

Thomas had been expecting a call-up to the relay team but Welshman Matt Elias and American-born Malachi Davis took the two remaining berths for Athens.

"There's no point in having a slanging match," said Thomas, who won an Olympic silver in the relay eight years ago.

"But I've been through hell these last five years. I love this sport and now look what they've done to me."

The 1998 European champion, who had not achieved the 400m individual qualifying standard, only returned to full-time training a fortnight ago after injury.

"I thought I would have been a very good member of the team," said Thomas.

"I'm gobsmacked. It wasn't what I expected to hear.

All I have dreamt of is preparing for these Olympics Iwan Thomas

"I lowered my time from over 47 seconds at the trials, where I was running on less than a week's training, by over a second in Madrid last Saturday.

"I thought they would have respected my past record and given me a chance."

Thomas, 30, moved home especially to train with new coach Nick Dakin and Commonwealth 400m hurdles champion Chris Rawlinson in Loughborough.

"I moved here two years ago, started a new life and gave up a lot of friends," he added. "All I have dreamt of is preparing for these Olympics.

"In Madrid I beat Sean Baldock, who finished third in the trials, and my time was much faster than Matt Elias ran at Loughborough - although I've nothing against him.

"Why didn't they just say after the trials 'we're having a run-off for the relay places at Loughborough - that's it'?

"Then instead of going to Madrid I would have gone there. It's my home track and only five miles from where I live.

"At the end of the day I improved by over a second in less than a week and probably apart from Jamie Baulch, who is injured, I'm the most experienced relay runner in the country.

"There's nothing else I could have done to have been selected. Within a month and at the Olympics, I would have been running a hell of a lot faster."