Athletics: Gothenburg relay place for Gunnell

Sally Gunnell, who withdrew from Sunday's Bupa International at Sheffield with a thigh strain, was yesterday confirmed in the British 4 x 400 metres relay squad for next month's World Championships, writes Mike Rowbottom.

The selectors, who met for two hours on Sunday night, left her name on the team sheet, even though she has still to prove her fitness with intended races in Germany this weekend.

Several other athletes provisionally selected after the national trials at Birmingham, including Roger Black, Steve Backley and Jonathan Edwards, were officially included. There were seven new names added to the list; Adrian Patrick (400m), David Strang (800m), Kevin McKay (1500m), Andy Tulloch (110m hurdles), Brendan Reilly (high jump), Mark Proctor (shot) and Simon Shirley (decathlon).

The possibility of any late return to the team by Colin Jackson has disappeared with the naming of Tulloch in the third 110m hurdles place alongside Tony Jarrett and Neil Owen.

Iwan Thomas, the Welsh record holder, is included in the relay squad. He may be joined there tomorrow by the European 400m champion, Du'Aine Ladejo, who runs in Monte Carlo to test a hamstring injury which prevented him challenging for an individual place.

The sprinter Jason John, triple jumper Ashia Hansen and 400m hurdler Peter Crampton have been selected with the proviso that they keep in touch with the chief coach, Malcolm Arnold, over their state of fitness.