Wallwork is last Yorkshire star standing as White falls out of race for ticket to Olympics

With the Olympics less than six months away, we continue the build-up by assessing the prospect of Yorkshire’s elite badminton players reaching London 2012. Nick Westby reports.

The successful doubles partnership of Leeds duo Jenny Wallwork and Gabby White are losing their grip on a place at this summer’s Olympics.

The Yorkshire duo won the English doubles title last night for the third successive year but are no longer Britain’s No 1 seeds as the English championships carry no world ranking points.

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Olympic qualification is based on the world rankings and Wallwork and White are too far behind fellow Britons Mariana Agathangelou and Heather Olver to stand any realistic hope of contesting the ladies doubles at London 2012.

Even that top pairing is not certain to qualify for the Games as they are currently ranked 26th in the world and the Olympic doubles tournament is only open to the top 16 pairs.

White and Wallwork are ranked 36th with three months of the qualifying race left.

White, who was born and bred in Leeds, suffered another blow recently when she dropped out of contention to qualify for the Olympic mixed doubles with Scottish partner Robert Blair.

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They were removed from badminton’s ‘Olympic Track’ last week when they slipped below their two British rivals – of which Wallwork is one alongside former Olympic silver medallist Nathan Robertson – in the world rankings.

Blair lost his place on the GB world-class performance programme leaving White to focus on the near-mission impossible of qualifying with Wallwork in the women’s doubles.

White, 21, said: “I am very disappointed that our efforts to qualify have ended but I know we gave it our best shot. I wish Robert the best of luck while I will now focus on my women’s doubles with Jenny.

“Luckily I am young enough to be in a position to challenge for a place in the GB squad for Rio in 2016. That now has to be my long-term goal.”

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GB performance director Jens Grill, who is head of the world class performance programme, said: “The year-long qualifying race is so hard on the players and their performances come under constant review.

“Once all realistic hope of qualification is gone we have to make hard decisions and, regrettably, this is what has happened here with Robert and Gabby.”

Wallwork, 25, and her partner Robertson are multiple national champions and won silver at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

They, too, are not certain of qualification for the Olympics as they are currently ranked 18th in the world, behind 14th-placed Chris Adcock and Imogen Bankier.

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For two pairs to qualify in Olympic doubles, both must be in the top eight in the May 3 world rankings.

Despite their standing Wallwork, raised in Leeds, and Robertson have already won the Swedish International this year and reached last night’s national final in Bolton where they lost to White and her English partner Chris Adcock.

There are a number of promising Yorkshire players who have the 2016 Olympics in Rio in their sights. Andrew and Marcus Ellis, 25 and 22, respectively, will represent the England men’s team at the European Team Championships in Amsterdam next week.

In the women’s event, Wallwork and White will be supported by Yorkshire’s Kate Robertshaw, 21 – who yesterday lost the English ladies singles final – and the uncapped Lauren Smith, 20.

Singles prospect Sarah Milne, 20, and doubles specialist Jessica Fletcher, 19, both of Leeds, are also Rio hopefuls.

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