The British Olympic Association (BOA) announced today the selection of Scott Overall, Paula Radcliffe and Mara Yamauchi to compete for Team GB in the marathon event at the London 2012 Olympic Games.
The trio represent the first individuals to be selected from the sport of athletics and bring the total number of athletes officially selected to Team GB for London 2012 to 19 - including 11 sailors and five boxers.
All three marathon athletes achieved the UKA ‘A’ qualifying standard during 2011. Radcliffe’s time of two hours, 23 minutes and 46 seconds at the Berlin Marathon was inside the ‘A’ qualifying standard of two hours and 31 minutes. The race in the German capital was the world record holder’s second race this year following time away from the sport after having her second child.
The 37-year-old’s inclusion to Team GB makes Radcliffe the third British athletics competitor to be selected for five Olympic Games, following in the footsteps of Tessa Sanderson and Chris Maddocks, and she will be the first to compete in three marathons.
Radcliffe is joined by Mara Yamauchi, who achieved the qualifying standard at the Yokohama Marathon last month, when she clocked a time of two hours, 27 minutes and 24 seconds. Yamauchi, who finished sixth at 2008 Beijing Olympics, is the second fastest British woman over the marathon distance this year behind Radcliffe.
Scott Overall is the sole male representative selected to date, following his excellent marathon debut in Berlin. The 28-year-old met the ‘A’ standard when he finished fifth, in a time of two hours, 10 minutes and 55 seconds. The Londoner comes from a 5,000m background but successfully swapped the track for the roads during 2011.
The athletes were formally nominated to the BOA for selection to Team GB by UK Athletics, the National Governing Body for athletics in the UK.
A second round of Team GB marathon selections for the Olympic Games will take place following the London Marathon in April 2012.
Team GB Chef de Mission Andy Hunt said:
Charles van Commenee, Team GB Athletics Team Leader and UK Athletics Head Coach said:
Scott Overall said:
Paula Radcliffe said:
Mara Yamauchi said: