Team England have apologised after Melissa Lowther was not allowed to race the Commonwealth Games time trial due to an admin error. ITV reports that an unticked box meant she wasn’t formally entered.
In a post to Instagram, Lowther wrote: “I can’t put into words how disappointed I am to have been missed off the start list due to an admin error.
“It was one of my targets this season to make selection for the time trial event and I was so proud that my hard work in training had paid off.
“While Team England have apologised, I’m still gutted not to have an opportunity to represent my country after all the hard miles I’ve put in.”
Team England chef de mission Sarah Winckless said: “I personally shared my apologies for missing her out of the time trial today… no athlete should be put in this position because of an administrative error by my group.”
She said there had been “seven or eight” opportunities to spot the mistake, but it was repeatedly missed. When the error came to light, England appealed to the Commonwealth Games Federation but this was rejected.
British Cycling performance director Stephen Park said: “She’s trying to be as upbeat as she possibly can… she’s been out on a training ride this morning and we’re now all behind her efforts for the road race.
“Hopefully she’ll come out there feeling fresh and be able to get a little bit of retribution on the road.”

6 thoughts on “Team England cyclist had to miss Commonwealth Games time trial because someone forgot to tick a box”
Aye but as Chris Boardman
Aye but as Chris Boardman said at the time, errors are made but there was plenty of time for the officials to include her in the TT because it was the day before that the error was noticed.
So called friendly games and no objections from any of the other athletes to include her but officials totally unable to simply put her name down on the start list, how fucking hard could it be, really!
BehindTheBikesheds wrote:
Jobsworths basically
Same thing almost happened to
Same thing almost happened to Valerie Adams at the last Olympics, but they managed to pull some strings and get her in.
Aussies.
Aussies.
If that had been Sally Pearson missing from the start list (had she not been injured), Russell Crowe would’ve accompanied her to the track and all would have been sorted.
It’s just not cricket, and neither’s cricket when you’re shaving bits of the ball away.
davel wrote:
Don’ bring New Zealand into this?
don simon wrote:
Don’ bring New Zealand into this?
— davel
Oh c’mon, he identifies as an okker, the ONLY reason he isn’t an Australian citizen is due to a ridiculous act of government that stated that those born in NZ must have spent the most part of 2000-2002 in the country (he was filming out the country),
So no matter how long he lives there he can never be a citizen unless they somehow change it in ‘law’, he’s lived there since he was 4 (1968) and it’s where he resides most often. He owns Sydney Rabbitos rugby league club too, pays Australian taxes, he even said he used to hand out ‘How to vote’ pamphlets in Australia when he was a kid.
NZ might be his country of birth but he most assuredly IS an australian.