Il Nuovo Postiglione - Olympic long jump champ Rutherford fails in Winter Games bid

The 35-year-old, who won gold at the 2012 Olympics in London, made his international bobsleigh debut as part of a four-man crew at a World Cup race in Germany in January.

However, a poor campaign meant Lamin Deen's team failed to make either the official qualification places or one of the potential reallocation slots for the Games.

Brad Hall will pilot Britain's only four-man sled in China, accompanied by his regular crew of Greg Cackett, Nick Gleeson and Taylor Lawrence, with Ben Simons also travelling as reserve.

Hall's team will head to Beijing as genuine medal contenders after a season in which they have claimed three World Cup podium finishes and fourth place in the overall rankings.

"We said at the start of the season that we wanted to be competing with the best in the world on a consistent basis and we've shown that we can do that," said Hall.

"The boys have regularly been among the best starters in the world, too, and we're heading to Beijing full of confidence."

Hall will team up with Gleeson in the two-man event while Mica McNeill will pilot the women's crew.

Rutherford, whose debut was delayed by a shoulder injury, only had his first run on a full track in Austria in November.

"A massive day in my life and on this incredible bobsleigh journey…. It’s official.. I can now call myself bobsledder," he posted on Instagram after his first training run.

The former athlete was aiming to become just the seventh Olympian to win a medal at both a summer and winter Games.

The 2022 Winter Olympics start on February 4 and run until February 20 at venues in and around Beijing.

D.Ricci--INP