Gymnast Imogen Cairns was left speechless last night when

told she would be going to the Beijing Olympics – and she could

be joined in the Great Britain squad today by West hammer

thrower Zoe Derham.

The 19-year-old Cairns, who competes for the Academy of

Gymnastics in Portishead, had controversially been left out of

the six-strong team named last month and was only nominated as

a reserve.

But an injury to Laura Jones has given Cairns a chance to

make her Olympics debut and now she will join the team at the

GB holding camp in Macau next week.

Cairns said: “I'm speechless. Originally, when I wasn't

selected, I was gutted. Although people told me that in the

last two Olympics people had been forced to drop out with

injury I didn't believe I was going. Now I am and it is

fantastic news.”

Cairns is the second athlete from North Somerset to be

selected for the Olympics this week, with Clevedon's Kate Reed

having been named to run the 10,000m.

Mountain biker Oli Beckingsale, who comes from Backwell,

will also be travelling to China.

Hoping to be there too is Gloucester-based Derham –

Britain's No 1 hammer thrower. The 27-year-old upped the stakes

in her claim for a place in the team by recording the

second-best throw in British history yesterday.

Derham smashed her own personal best by more than a metre

and only fell 30cm short of the British record, held by her

coach Lorraine Shaw, with a mighty effort of 68.63m in

Loughborough. The throw was beyond the Olympic B standard of

67m but shy of the A standard 69.5m.

That means Derham is facing a nerve-wracking wait as the

selectors meet today to pick the final wave of athletes who

will compete in Beijing next month.

Shaw last night said: “Zoe doesn't know what to think. She

is obviously very excited about throwing a personal best but I

don't think she'll be sleeping well tonight.

“Performance wise she couldn't do any more and she should

feel very proud of what she did, competing under that sort of

pressure.”

The selectors will meet in Birmingham to finalise the

athletics team. And while the Dwain Chambers controversy will

be their most pressing issue – the High Court will rule today

on the sprinter's application for an injunction against his

Olympic ban – Derham's position should also give them plenty to

think about.

The Yate-born athlete has now thrown over the B standard in

her last three last competitions, including her victory in the

Olympic trials at Birmingham last weekend.

“Zoe cannot do any more and it is down to the selectors

now,” added Shaw.

“But if they want to see her compete at the London Olympics

in 2012 then they must help and inspire her by picking her for

2008.”

Also competing at Loughborough, Bristol sprinter Ryan Scott

staked a late claim for a place in the Olympic relay squad with

a personal best of 10.2secs, with a legal following wind of

1.2m. The time promotes the 21-year-old from Henleaze, who

competes for Yate and District AC, to No 7 in the UK

rankings.

Scott said: “It gives me a chance for the relay squad but it

is only 50-50.”

Craig Pickering, who trains with Scott in Bath, will also

find out today if he is to compete in the 100m – but his chance

hangs on the Chambers ruling.