JENNY Meadows dreaded the announcement of Britain's track and field squad.

After missing last weekend's Olympic Trials through illness, selection that seemed a formality last month now hangs in the balance.

Trials winner Marilyn Okoro is the only runner so far named for Kelly Holmes' 800m gold medal winning distance in Athens four years ago.

Wigan Harrier Meadows and runner-up Jessica Simpson must sweat it out until the second batch of athletes is chosen.

However, both girls should get the nod which would be an emotional release for the 27-year-old Lancastrian.

Meadows won the European Cup 800m for Britain last month despite grieving for her father Keith, who died of cancer on June 2.

Mum Barbara is already plotting her Beijing adventure, buying the tickets put up for sale by the grandparents of Jessica Ennis, whose broken foot ruled her out of contention.

Sighing

"If my dad was here he would be doing a lot of sighing," said Meadows, struck down by a chest infection at precisely the wrong time. I want to get to Beijing for him.

"I agonised whether to run and spoke to Dave Collins (GB performance director) and in the end decided not to go."

Simpson, from Newquay AC, has run faster this season but Meadows, who competed at the World Indoor Championships, has achieved the A standard a greater number of times.

"It's going to be an agonising wait," admitted Meadows.

Collins has set the squad a target of five medals with 11 further fourth to eighth places.

Christine Ohuruogu (400m) and Phillips Idowu (triple jump) remain the best bets for gold with heptathlete Kelly Sotherton capable of improving on her Athens bronze.

"I would urge athletes to seize this opportunity, think carefully about their individual goals and do everything within their power to meet them," said Collins.

"There are few sporting challenges tougher than those that will meet this athletics team in Beijing.

"There will be fierce competition from the rest of the world and in a testing climate as well but it is not a challenge we will shy from."

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