Britain's only wrestler at Olympics gets passport

LONDON - The Associated Press

AFP photo

The Ukraine-born athlete who is set to be Britain's only representative in the wrestling tournament at the London Olympics has received her British passport, confirming her eligibility for the games.

Olga Butkevych was in a group of eastern European wrestlers brought to Britain in 2007 to train with the host nation's squad. Controversially, they have since been allowed to qualify for its Olympic team, sparking outrage among home-grown wrestlers.

Colin Nicholson, chief executive of British Wrestling, tells the BBC that "Olga has been wrestling for Britain for five years and it's a great boost." A British Olympic Association panel decided Tuesday to remove two of the three host-nation berths provisionally awarded to Britain last year, saying British Wrestling has underperformed.

Butkevych is set to compete in the women's under-55kg category.