• London Olympics 2012

Adcock & Bankier seal Olympic selection

ESPN staff
May 30, 2012
Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier came through a gruelling selection process © Getty Images
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Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier have won the nod to represent Team GB at London 2012 following a fraught selection process.

The mixed doubles duo were engaged in a competitive battle with rivals Nathan Robertson and Jenny Wallwork for the sole British berth for the badminton tournament at this summer's Olympic Games, although they always looked set to win the place after claiming a surprise silver at the 2011 World Championships.

World ranking was expected to be used to decide the matter and Adcock and Bankier won the majority of the crucial showdowns between the two players, seeing them ranked 10th at the time of selection as Robertson and Wallwork sat 17th in the world.

"After a tremendously hard year of qualification, when I received my selection letter to say that I would become an Olympian at the London 2012 Games, I was over the moon," Adcock said. "I had achieved one of my lifelong goals and now that I have been selected to represent Team GB, my focus is to put myself in the best position possible to perform at my optimum level."

Bankier added: "I am absolutely delighted to become a member of the Team GB badminton team and I'm really looking forward to competing in front of a home crowd at Wembley Arena with the potential to hopefully bring home a medal."

The news means Robertson, who won a silver medal alongside Gail Emms in 2004, will end his career on a disappointing note.

Rajiv Ouseph will compete in the men's singles, while 29-year-old Susan Egelstaff got the nod for the women's singles spot.

"This is a young team with huge potential and after a full year of very tough Olympic qualification everybody deserves to be a part of Team GB," Jonassen said. "We really look forward to the next eight weeks of preparation and getting our players into peak condition ready to compete at the highest level."

"The outstanding breakthrough performances by Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier en route to winning a silver medal at the World Championships at Wembley Arena last August were a clear example of the tremendous positive effect that enthusiastic and vocal home support can have upon the performances of British athletes," Team GB chef de mission Andy Hunt added.

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