Cj Ujah has missed out on a place in Great Britain’s Olympic athletics squad – three years after his failed drugs test cost his 4x100 metres relay team a silver medal.
The 30-year-old, who served a 22-month doping ban, was tipped to earn a relay place in Paris having been picked for the World Relays and European Championships earlier this summer.
However, despite finishing third in the 100m at last weekend’s British trials, Ujah was surprisingly omitted from the 64-strong Olympic squad announced on Friday.
Richard Kilty, who said he would never forgive Ujah after being stripped of his Olympic relay medal, has been given a spot instead, while the other members of the Tokyo team, Zharnel Hughes and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, have also been selected.
Jake Wightman, the world 1500m champion in 2022, has been awarded a discretionary spot to run the 800m in Paris despite missing last weekend’s trials through injury. While George Mills – the son of former England footballer Danny – will compete in both the 1500m and 5,000m.
Yet there was controversy after Britain snubbed at least nine athletes who were eligible to be selected for the Olympics by virtue of their world ranking, but had not hit the stricter standards set out by UK Athletics’ selection policy.
It means Team GB’s athletics squad is the smallest it has been at a Games in 20 years, with numbers way down on the 77 that travelled to Tokyo 2020 and the 80 that went to Rio 2016.
‘British Athletics have not only robbed me of another opportunity to compete, they have robbed me of a dream of being an Olympian,’ blasted 24-year-old hammer thrower Anna Purchase, who is ‘Paris qualified’ by her world ranking but was overlooked after just missing out on the standard.
‘Where is this Pride of Britain? Should we not be proud to have as many athletes as possible, representing our nation at the Olympic Games?
‘We put our lives, careers and financial security on hold to pursue this sport, only to have the opportunity taken away because we are deemed “not good enough” to make the top eight or win a medal in our event.
‘If we are dismissed despite being among the best in the world, why would we continue? The current state of selection is driving people away and discouraging young athletes. This backward and unsustainable practice will ruin the sport.’
No female throwers have been picked at all by Britain despite qualifying via their rankings, with shot-putter Amelia Campbell claiming the ‘disgusting’ selection policy is ‘killing the sport’, and discus thrower Jade Lally saying she was ‘ashamed’ to represent her national federation.
UKA chief executive Jack Buckner had warned last year that the selection policy would shift to prioritise the ‘big hitters’ – those who can compete for medals or reach finals.
At the Tokyo Olympics, Britain did not win a gold medal in athletics for the first time since Atlanta 1996, but they are expected to right that wrong in Paris.
Pole vaulter Molly Caudery and 800m star Keely Hodgkinson are set to go to the Games as favourites in their respective events, while 1500m runner Josh Kerr and heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson are current world champions.
‘We know we have a high-quality team, who know how to produce their best when it counts and will be challenging for medals and those Olympic final spots,’ said Britain’s head coach Paula Dunn.
‘It’s a brilliant mix of athletes who have multiple global medals alongside some amazing young talent that has only just broken through this season.’