Imogen Bankier, Susan Egelstaff ecstatic after making to Olympic squad of England
There was double joy for Scottish badminton lovers as their female campaigners Susan Egelstaff and Imogen Bankier earned spots in England’s squad for the London Olympics, set to be held from July 27, 2012.
Glasgow girls Egelstaff and Bankier will be participating in Women’s Singles and Mixed Doubles events respectively.
Both ladies were dancing on air after reserving their right to be in the mega event and they vowed to capitalise this golden opportunity.
Imogen Bankier joins hand with Chris Adcock and the duo stands at 10th position in world ranking.
Earlier, they were locked in a tense battle with World Number 17 British couple Nathan Robertson-Jenny Wallwork but Adcock-Bankier managed to secure honour after sealing a victory in quarter-finals of European Championships 2012.
The 24-year-old Bankier has turned focus to London Games as she showed excitement after the drama of selection. She is in high spirits to make the best out of this break.
She said, “The qualification period was very stressful and I’m just glad it’s over and we can now look forward to the Games. We have worked really hard to acquire this opportunity and we intend not to waste it.”
The twosome of Adcock and Bankier grabbed attentions by wearing silver medal in World Championships last year at Wembley Arena.
Imogen Bankier still cherishes the fond memories when they rose to new heights in front of their home fans and she is determined to repeat history in the coming edition of the Olympics.
She said, “Getting the silver medal at the worlds was the big breakthrough. When we won in Glasgow back in 2012 we were only the third ranked pair in Britain.”
Meanwhile, Women’s Singles expert Susan Egelstaff was also over the moon after clinching a seat in the national squad. The 2006 Commonwealth Games bronze medallist declared this a result of her hard work during qualification period.
She said, “This is the culmination of a really hard year of qualification and it’s great to be successful and be able to look forward to participating in the Games. It’s a once in a lifetime opportunity.”
The 29-year-old Egelstaff suffered a knee injury last year which kept her away from court for significant period of time.
However, she managed to bounce back and surpass World Number 48 Elizabeth Cann in battle of Olympic qualification.
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