Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics - Greg Rutherford misses out on selection as Team GB confirm bobsleigh crews

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Updated 20/01/2022 at 11:43 GMT

London 2012 long jump gold medallist Rutherford had launched an ambitious attempt to qualify as part of Great Britain's 4-man unit, but pilot Brad Hall and his regular team will instead lead the charge after a strong World Cup season. Rutherford's efforts to make Beijing will be charted in a discovery+ documentary, which will be shown ahead of the Winter Olympics.

Greg Rutherford has missed out on selection for Beijing 2022 after Team GB confirmed their bobsleigh units for the Winter Olympics.

The London 2012 long jump champion had launched an ambitious attempt to also compete at a Winter Games, an effort that will be charted in a discovery+ documentary to be aired in the build-up to Beijing.

However the 35-year-old will not be at the Olympics, with pilot Brad Hall and his regular crew rewarded for strong World Cup form and travelling to China right among the medal contenders.

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Hall, Taylor Lawrence, Nick Gleeson and Greg Cackett are the chosen male quartet, with Ben Simons travelling as an alternate, while Hall and Gleeson will take on two-man duties, with Cackett in the reserve role.

There will be one former Summer Olympian part of the British team - former sprinter Montell Douglas returns to Beijing 14 years on as part of the 2-women bob alongside captain and former Youth Olympic silver medallist Mica McNeill. Adele Nicoll is the alternate.

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“I’m honoured to be selected to represent Team GB again and I know the rest of my crew feel exactly the same," said Hall, whose quartet have thrice secured silver medals in the 2021-22 World Cup season. "We’ve had a great season so far and we’re hoping to carry that momentum into the Games.

“We said at the start of the season that we wanted to be competing with the best in the world on a consistent basis and we’ve shown that we can do that. The boys have regularly been among the best starters in the world, too, and we’re heading to Beijing full of confidence."

While Francesco Friedrich's dominant German unit will travel to Beijing as strong favourites to defend their crown, Hall will hope to run them close.

Great Britain had two quartets at the Pyeongchang Olympics but finished a disappointing 17th and 18th.

McNeill and then partner Mica Moore performed more encouragingly in the two-woman runs at the Alpensia Sliding Centre, and the 28-year-old will hope to build on an eighth-placed finish.

Douglas makes history as the the first British woman to compete in different sports at a winter and summer Olympic Games.

“I am very excited to get onto the plane to Beijing next week for my second Olympic Games!” said McNeill, who won Youth Olympic silver in Innsbruck in 2012.

“It’s been a very different journey to the Games this time round but I’ve loved every moment of making it happen. I can’t wait to get back on the ice out there and represent Team GB.”

The Winter Olympics begin on 4 February, with the bobsleigh competitions all on the back-half of the schedule.

The inaugural women's monobob, for which Britain has not entered an athlete, kick-off proceedings at the Xiaohaituo track on 13 February.

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