LONDON 2012: Great Britain's badminton team to be smaller than Beijing

Posted: Wednesday 30th May 2012 | 10:33

GREAT Britain will send just four badminton players to London 2012 - two less than the squad which attended the last Olympics in Beijing.

MEDAL HOPES: World silver medallists Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier will lead a four-strong British badminton team at London 2012

Four years ago they had representatives in all five events, in Athens the team was 11-strong, but this time around there will be no involvement in either the men's or women's doubles, after neither of the top pairs achieved the qualifying standard.

World silver medallist Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier will lead the team in the mixed doubles, having won their selection battle with Athens silver medallist Nathan Robertson and new partner Jenny Wallwork.

Five-time English national champion Rajiv Ouseph competes in the men's singles while Susan Egelstaff, a bronze medallist at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, will be entered in the women's singles.

All four are making their Olympic debuts and coach Kenneth Jonassen admitted the selection process had been tough.

“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," he 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 official squad announcement marks the end of a newsworthy selection process that saw Bankier and Wallwork involved in a high-profile spat on Twitter.

Team member Gabby White, who hoped to win a women's doubles place with Wallwork, was also involved despite the fact she is engaged to Bankier's on-court partner Adcock.

Ouseph was always the front-runner for the men's singles selection but Scot Egelstaff was challenged all the way for her place by English number one Elizabeth Cann.

And there is still a chance Great Britain might be able to field a men's doubles team, with Adcock and Andrew Ellis currently listed as first reserves.