Rio Olympics: Christine Ohuruogu and Jo Pavey get the nod for Great Britain athletics team

Making the team: Ohuruogu's place was among the most keenly contested
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Guy Aspin14 July 2016

Christine Ohuruogu has been given the chance to bid for a third straight Olympic 400 metres medal after being included in the Great Britain team for the Rio Games.

Jo Pavey, the 42-year-old mother of two, has also been included in the 10,000m in an 80-strong team announced on Wednesday.

Ohuruogu, who took 400m gold eight years ago in Beijing and silver at London 2012, won her battle for an individual spot with Anyika Onuora, who has to make do with a relay place, while Pavey will become the first British track athlete to compete in five Olympics after getting the nod ahead of Kate Avery.

Reigning Olympic champions Mo Farah (5,000m and 10,000m), Jessica Ennis-Hill (heptathlon) and Greg Rutherford (long jump) will once again lead Britain's medal charge in Brazil.

The women's 400m was the biggest dilemma for the selectors. Ohuruogu is a proven championship performer, but is battling to return to top form after a virus and was beaten to bronze by Onuora at last week's European Championships in Amsterdam.

Both women felt they had done enough to deserve the spot, but it appears the Londoner's status as a two-time world and former Olympic champion, as well as the fact her time in the semi-final in Holland (51.35 seconds) was fastest than Onuora has run this year, proved decisive.

Pavey's Olympic bid has been hampered by a chest infection and going into the Europeans her chances looked bleak, but a brilliant run in the Dutch capital - the fastest by a Briton over 10,000m this year - earned her the qualifying time and a seat on the plane to Rio.

As expected, Chijindu Ujah has been handed the final 100m spot over Richard Kilty, who will compete only in the relay, while Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake will race over 200m after Zharnel Hughes' hopes were crushed by a knee injury.

Team GB Rio Oympics 2016 Kit designed by Stella McCartney

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Andy Vernon will race over 10,000m a year after his controversial omission from the World Championships squad.

There is no place for Jenny Meadows in the 800m, signalling the end of her impressive international career.

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: "I'm very excited by this group of athletes and what I think we can achieve in Rio.

"There's a real blend of experience and exciting new talent, with the likes of Olympic gold medallists Mo, Jess, Greg and Christine, selected alongside those becoming Olympians for the first time, like Dina Asher-Smith (200m), Chris Baker (high jump), Jazmin Sawyers (long jump) and Elliot Giles (800m).

"This is the best prepared and arguably strongest team we have ever selected. We believe the world class level of performances this group can achieve will see us challenging for a number of places on the podium."

Ennis-Hill is looking to cap a remarkable return by defending her heptathlon title two years after giving birth to her son Reggie.

She said: "Everything's coming together now and I'm feeling good. Training over the past few weeks has been going really well and it's been good to be back in the competitive environment recently. There's still some time left before Rio to put some work in as well.

"London was an incredible experience and the two journeys to London and Rio have been completely different, which I've really enjoyed. If I was able to defend my title in Rio it will certainly be one of my greatest achievements."

Britain's athletes won six medals at London 2012, including four golds, and - after a team missing the likes of Farah and Ennis-Hill returned from the Europeans with 16 medals, including five victories - they will be hoping for an even greater haul this time around, with the pressure on the relay teams to deliver, which did not happen in London.

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