Sprinter Dwain Chambers and shot putter Carl Myerscough, who have served doping bans after testing positive for anabolic steroids, were named on Tuesday in the British athletics team for the London Olympics.
The pair are the beneficiaries of a Court of Arbitration ruling which overturned the British Olympic Association’s lifetime Games bans for drug offenders.
Neither athlete was present at a news conference at the team’s headquarters near the Olympic Park and chef de mission Andy Hunt had a diplomatic answer ready when he was questioned about their selection.
Seventy-one athletes were named on Tuesday in addition to the six marathon runners who had already been selected in the largest British track and field team since the Barcelona Olympics 20 years ago.
It includes Olympic women’s 400 metres champion Christine Ohuruogu, world champions Mo Farah (5,000 metres) and Dai Greene (400 metres hurdles) and Olympic triple jump silver medallist and former world champion Phillips Idowu.
Scot Lynsey Sharp, winner of the British trials, was given the sole position in the women’s 800 metres.