Jackson selected ahead of Johnson in four-man bobsleigh

JOHN James Jackson has been selected to lead the four-man bobsleigh team at Vancouver 2010 at the expense of three-time Olympian Lee Johnston.

GETTING THE NOD: John James Jackson is selected for the Vancouver 2010 four-man bobsleigh team at the expense of Lee Johnston (Getty Images)

Jackson, 32, will make his Olympic debut in Vancouver and will joined by former rugby union player Henry Nwume, once of London Wasps RFC, Dan Money and former sprint relay Commonwealth champion Allyn Condon.

Johnston, 37, has a best Olympic finish of tenth in the two-man event at the Salt Lake City Games in 2002, while he was finished fifth in the four-man bobsleigh at the World Championships in 2007.

But a disappointing World Cup season saw Johnston finish 30th with Jackson just behind in 31st, just 12 years after the British four-man team claimed Olympic bronze in Nagano.

"Bobsleigh is one of the great events at the Olympic Winter Games and it's always had a place in the hearts of many British sports fans," said British Olympic Association chief executive Andy Hunt.

"We've got a very talented driver in John Jackson and he's a got a team around him who combine the pace, power and skill that you need in this sport.

"I'm sure they'll deliver the sort of strong and committed performance that fans will enjoy."

Meanwhile, Jackson is hoping to draw on the bronze-medal winning quartet of 1998 for inspiration.

"It feels fantastic to be selected for my first Olympic Winter Games," he added. "We are all going to go there to get the best result that we can manage. It has been a tough season, but this gives us a brilliant opportunity to end on a high.

"I remember watching the bobsleigh at the 1998 Olympic Winter Games in Nagano and being really inspired.

"I think it's a brilliant spectator sport and the achievements of the British team in Nagano are what spurred me on."

Condon, part of the sprint relay team at the Sydney 2000 Games, will become the first Brit to compete at both the Summer and the Winter Olympics since Marcus Adam, who also combined sprinting and bobsleigh eight years ago.

"Having been previously selected to compete for Team GB in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games, it is a fantastic privilege for me to now be selected for an Olympic Winter Games," he said.

"I came into bobsleigh four years ago, and this is what you work towards. There's nothing bigger than the Olympics - it's the highest achievement in sport.

"I'll hope to use my experience from Sydney - to reflect on the way you build-up and deal with the pressure. I know some of the mistakes to avoid and some of the ways you can make the most of your preparation time."

Meanwhile, freestyle skier Sarah Sauvey has also been added to the British team and will compete in the ski cross, a discipline making its debut at the Winter Olympics.

There had been some confusion regarding Sauvey's place in the squad with the 26-year-old revealing confirmation of her selection on her personal website prior to official confirmation from the BOA.

She said: "I am so thrilled to be part of Team GB. It means so much to be able to represent the nation that has been the backbone of my culture, values and upbringing. 

"This selection means the world to me after many years of hard work and perseverance. A top result at the Olympics would be the pinnacle of success for me. But competing at the Olympic Winter Games is a dream achievement in itself."

That brings the total number of British athletes selected to take part in Vancouver to 48 with the skeleton teams due to be announced on Friday.