Pickering and Edgar answer GB call

6:20pm Saturday 19th July 2008

Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar will join Simeon Williamson in the British 100 metres team for next month's Olympic Games after Dwain Chambers failed to win his court judgement to run in Beijing.

Both sprinters have been waiting anxiously since last Saturday's race when Chambers won in the fastest time by a European athlete this year of 10.00 seconds with Williamson in his slipstream.

Williamson, the European Under-23 champion, was the only athlete announced in the first wave of selections last Monday, the selectors deferring naming the other two until Chambers' High Court appearance.

The 30-year-old former drugs cheat lost his injunction, opening the door as expected for Pickering and Edgar to be chosen.

"This has been one of the strangest weeks of my life and I don't ever want another one like it," said Edgar winner of last month's European Cup 100m in Annecy.

"I would have preferred a smoother ride, but it has been like a roller-coaster. But athletics is like that, you get the ups and downs."

The US-based star admitted: "I was really disappointed at the trials, but I remained hopeful throughout the week I would get selected for the individual 100m.

"Now I have a big smile on my face, the Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world and I'm really excited to be part of it."

Edgar, like many other of his team-mates, has been annoyed that Chambers' bid to run in Beijing has detracted from the performances of the 68-strong squad of whom 21 will be debutants.

"I'm just thankful the court case is over and grateful for the opportunity," he said. "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."

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