Gymnast Cairns will go to the Olympics after all

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.