Gymnasts win Olympic legal duel

British rhythmic gymnasts can compete at the London Olympics, but it took a court case against the seven athletes' own governing body to get them there.

The team's dreams of competing this summer died when British Gymnastics refused to put them forward for selection, saying they had missed their qualification targets. But the sports resolutions arbitrator Graeme Mew has found in the athletes' favour after they said they were not told of a cut-off point for amassing the points required for qualification.

"There was a lot of crying and a lot of jumping for joy when they were given the news," said Bryan Hutchison, whose daughter, Lynne, is one of the gymnasts.

British Gymnastics had ruled after the qualifying round on the second day of a three-day rhythmic gymnastics test event in January that the athletes did not make the cut.