World body to review selection process

The World Taekwondo Federation are to review the selection process which has seen world number one Aaron Cook rejected three times for a place in Great Britain's Olympic team.

GB Taekwondo's decision to put forward Lutalo Muhammad, ranked 59 places below Cook, in the under 80kg division despite twice being asked to reconsider by the British Olympic Association will now be scrutinised by the world governing body.

"We are extremely disappointed by the way in which British Taekwondo's selection process has been conducted and it is clear that the lack of a conclusive rationale has caused confusion," said WTF secretary general Jean-Marie Ayer.

"The manner of the selection is bringing our sport into disrepute among the UK media and major Olympic stakeholders due to a perceived lack of transparency.

"Our main concern is always that every athlete is given fair and equal consideration - their welfare must come first.

"We at the WTF have done our utmost to bring fair practices and transparency to our sport and that is why we have committed to undertaking this review.

"People all over the world practise taekwondo because it represents sport in its purest form: an individual display of skill, speed and strength.

"It is essential that the WTF preserves that purity for its 201 member countries and 70 million practitioners with transparent and decisive governance."