London 2012: Dai Greene to lead GB Olympics athletics team

World and Commonwealth champion Dai Greene is to captain the Team GB Olympic athletics team in London.

The 26-year-old will skipper the 78-strong team for the second time having held the position for the European Team Championships in Sweden in 2011.

Greene is one of Team GB's medal hopes with long-distance runner Mo Farah, heptathlete Jessica Ennis and defending 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu.

"We have a great team spirit in the camp," said the Welsh 400m hurdler.

"Which will make giving my speech much easier.

"It is an incredible privilege to be asked to captain the British athletics team at any time, but to be given the honour at a home Olympic Games is just incredible.

"I think our team is one of the strongest in history and I believe that we can go out and do Britain proud and I intend to lead by example."

Greene is one of a in the 542-strong entire Team GB squad and the Swansea Harrier hopes to add gold at a home Olympics to his 2011 World crown won in Daegu and the Commonwealth titles secured in 2010.

"Dai was a stand out candidate for the London 2012 captaincy," said UK Athletics head coach Charles van Commenee.

"He is a very professional athlete who is both liked and respected by the rest of the team.

"He knows what it takes to win at the highest level and that is a valuable experience to share with the team.

"I know we can also rely on Dai to inspire his teammates and I wouldn't be surprised if he raised a few laughs during his speech along the way."

Greene's Olympic preparations were hampered when he underwent knee surgery in December and his form subsequently suffered.

But after winning the trials last month, he lowered his personal best to 47.84 seconds and ran the second fastest time in the world this year when he finished second behind Puerto Rico's Javier Culson in last Friday's Diamond League meeting in Paris.

Greene will complete his Olympic preparation at the London Grand Prix at Crystal Palace when he takes on Culson and former world champion and Olympic bronze medallist Bershawn Jackson on Friday.

Greene's fellow Welshman Christian Malcolm skippered Team GB at the 2011 World Championships when Great Britain won seven medals.