The British Olympic Association (BOA) may face a legal battle over its decision to end a competitor's hopes of competing in this summer's London Olympic Games.
The world number one in taekwondo Aaron Cook was not selected by British Taekwondo, despite being ranked number one in the world and having defeated ten of the world's best 15 fighters in the 80-kg category at which he hoped to compete this summer.
British Taekwondo has instead selected Lutalo Muhammad, ranked number seven in the world, at the third time of asking. The fighters have won one bout a piece in competition this year.
The dispute centres on the selection criteria for the summer games, with Cook's team arguing that as world number one he has to be selected to compete. However, British Taekwondo claim that according to their previously determined criteria it is Muhammad who should be representing Great Britain.
The BOA has rejected Muhammad's selection twice before, claiming that British Taekwondo needed to be more transparent. British Taekwondo subsequently reran the selection process, again picking Muhammad and this time the BOA was left with little option but to ratify his selection.
The matter is clouded by claims of a conspiracy against Cook, after he dropped out of British Taekwondo's lottery-funded performance programme last year. Cook had instead found private financial backing, and left to pursue his own training regime. His team claim that this is the motivation behind the controversial selection.
Jamie Cunningham works for the Professional Sports Group.
"What more could Aaron have done? Is the message that if you fund yourself and do not take lottery funding, then you cannot participate in the Olympic Games? UK Sport needs to ask and be asked some serious questions," he said.
"Aaron will be considering whether he wishes to pursue a legal route to contest this decision over the weekend," he added.
The BOA panel said it ratified the decision of British Taekwondo with 'strong disappointment', but acknowledged that selection procedures had been followed correctly.
BOA chief executive is Andy Hunt.
"There are two world-class athletes directly impacted by this nomination and our panel would have preferred to see the selection process managed in a manner that would have been of much greater service to both athletes," he said.
Source:
British selectors risk legal fight in taekwondo row (Reuters)
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