Rio 2016: Hurdler Rhys Williams fails in his Olympic appeal against Team GB omission

Rhys Williams won the European 400m hurdle title in 2012

Welsh 400m hurdler Rhys Williams has failed in his appeal against his omission from Team GB's athletics squad for the Rio Olympics next month.

Williams met the Olympic qualifying time to win the IFAM title in Belgium in May but failed to gain automatic selection at the British Championships.

Sebastian Rodger won the British title with Jack Green second, and both secured selection in Birmingham.

Williams, 32, ran at the 2012 Olympics and won European gold the same year.

"Rhys was only eligible for selection in round four of selection, and to be successful in this round the selection panel would need to believe he would win a medal in Rio or at a future Olympic Games and/or there were exceptional circumstances surrounding his potential selection/qualification," a British Athletics statement read before the appeal.

"Unfortunately it was felt that Rhys did not fit into either of these categories and was therefore not selected."

Williams, who received a four-month ban for doping in 2014, ran just under British Athletics' Olympic A standard, winning his Belgium meet in May in a time of 49.22 seconds. The British Olympic qualifying time for the 400m hurdles was 49.40 seconds.

Williams believed he should be eligible but British Athletics rejected his appeal.

His omission means Wales has only one track and field athlete in a British Olympic squad for the first time since 1952.

Seren Bundy-Davies, who helped Great Britain win 4x400m European gold, is selected.