Devon’s Phil Norman says he may never race again after being refused a place at the Olympics

A British Steeplechase champion says he may never race again after being denied a place at the Paris Olympics.

Phil Norman hasn’t been given a place in Team GB even though he ran the fastest time of any Briton in more than 30 years during a 3,000m qualifying event.

Mr Norman, from Barnstaple in Devon, has criticised the decision by UK Athletics for not picking him and told ITV West Country it probably means the end of his career: “I've dedicated so much of my life to athletics starting when I was eight.

"Now I'm in the best shape of my life, in amazing form. But purely down to UK Athletics and the treatment I've had over the years, not getting picked for championships, physically I've got a lot more to give, but just mentally I'm spent, I can't put myself in for another 12 months of going through that disappointment again.

"I just can’t do it and it's not fair on my wife, my kid, to do that, So it's a real shame because I feel like I still have a lot left to give to this sport, but in its current state, I just can't see how I can.”

During a qualifying event in Manchester he ran a time of 8:18.65, which placed him high enough in the world rankings to be invited to take part in Paris, but UK Athletics’ policy is to decline such invites where the athlete has not met their standard.

Mr Norman said: “For them to show no discretion whatsoever is a blow, the standards we are talking about are not just average standards. This is an extra criteria that UK Athletics added in themselves.

"So I have outright qualified for the Paris Games and so have other athletes have had their invites declined. It is because of the world rankings that I have qualified.”

Phil Norman's time was 0.15 seconds outside the standard set by UK Athletics, and in a statement the governing body said its standards are set to only pick competitors who are capable of making the top eight in their event.

Their statement adds: "In selecting teams there will always be a line with some people unfortunately on the wrong side of it, and we do understand the disappointment of those who fall into this category."

Mr Norman said: “I was just hoping that someone would stand up and say, 'hang on a minute, let's have a look at this. This seems a bit bonkers.'

"'We're not going to send this guy in the steeplechase. He's the quickest we've had for 32 years. And also we will have no representation in this event for the first time since the steeplechase has been included at the Olympic Games, which is 1900.'

"'So we've had someone there for 124 years of Olympic Games. This is going to be the first time ever there's been no representation.'

"So not showing any discretion whatsoever and taking all of these points into consideration and just completely push it to the side, I just felt it was just a complete oversight.”

Mr Norman competed in the last Olympics in Tokyo and made the final of the 2022 European Championships.