BOA to examine Cook omission

The British Olympic Association are expected to meet British Taekwondo on Thursday for clarification over the omission of European champion Aaron Cook from the London Olympic squad.

Cook was widely anticipated to secure nomination for the under-80kgs category on a four-strong team, having recently retained his European title in Manchester. However, the 21-year-old, set to be ranked world number one ahead of the Games, was overlooked in favour of Lutalo Muhammad, who would have to drop down a weight division for the Olympics.

That prompted Cook to write to the BOA after an internal appeal to Sports Resolution Ltd returned the same outcome, and which saw last week's scheduled Team GB squad announcement postponed.

The BOA's Olympic Qualification Standards (OQS) panel - which consists of chief executive Andy Hunt, Sir Clive Woodward, deputy chef de mission Mark England and Sarah Winckliss, chairman of the BOA athletes commission - met earlier this week to discuss the situation and have asked for more information over GB Taekwondo's selection process.

Press Association Sport understands Cook received the full backing of performance director Gary Hall. The fighter, though, indicated in a statement his decision to quit the British Taekwondo's World Class Performance Programme in Manchester and train independently counted against him among the votes of the rest of the selectors.

GB Taekwondo, meanwhile, maintain the "overriding aim of the selection panel has been to select athletes who provide the Great Britain Taekwondo team the optimal chance of winning the best set of medals at the Games this summer."

The OQS Panel will also ask for clarification on the bearing updated World Taekwondo Federation guidelines on head kicks had in their decision to nominate Muhammad ahead of Cook - the Londoner having also secured a European title this year, but at a higher weight category.

The BOA could refuse to ratify Muhammad's nomination, and therefore effectively tell GB Taekwondo to reconsider, while the process itself could also be open to an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.