Tomlinson given longest possible recovery period

Great Britain's long jump record holder, Chris Tomlinson, will be given every chance to make the Beijing Olympics after tearing his calf at the recent London Grand Prix.

The 26-year-old took silver at the World Indoor Championships in Spain in March. He has remained in England for intensive treatment, rather than travelling to Macau for the Team GB training camp.

Dave Collins, UK Athletics' performance director, said yesterday: "I'd like to see him [at the long jump qualifiers in Beijing on 16 August]. It's a great shame for Chris, who's had a very promising winter. We'll wait and see what happens. We will fly him out business class into Beijing to give him the best possible chance.

"He's not coming out for the trip – none of these guys are coming for the trip, they're coming to perform, so we want to put him on the ground with the best possible chance to perform. There would be a practical deadline of five, six days before the event when a decision is made."

On Saturday, the International Olympic Committee formally stripped the gold medals from the American men's 4x400 metres relay team at the 2000 Sydney Games.

The IOC disqualified the team after Antonio Pettigrew's admission of doping in May. Michael Johnson had already handed back his medal, calling it "tainted". Pettigrew relinquished his medal after admitting using performance-enhancing drugs. He was testifying in the trial of the coach Trevor Graham, part of the investigation into the Balco laboratory doping ring.

Alvin and Calvin Harrison, Jerome Young and Angelo Taylor have been told to return their medals. No decision has been made on redistribution.

An IOC statement read: "Further to the recommendations of the IOC disciplinary commission, the executive board has disqualified Mr Pettigrew from the events in which he competed at the 2000 Olympic Games. Mr Pettigrew is now ineligible for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and further sanctions may be taken against him pending the outcome of the ongoing Balco investigation."