THE story of world number one taekwondo player Aaron Cook’s controversial omission from Team GB is well known, but Wycombe has its own hard luck story in the shape of shooter Abbey Burton.

The former Wye Valley pupil was over-looked by the GB Shooting team despite being part of the GB squad since 2003 and winning a World Cup gold just weeks before the team was announced.

Burton, 25, lost out to Charlotte Kerwood for the one and only women’s trap Olympic place.

Kerwood is ranked 15th in the world and receives funding to shoot. Burton, who self funds through coaching, is ranked five in the world. However, she appears to be a victim of a selection process that can best be described as confusing.

For one thing, she was denied a chance to stake her claim when she was not picked for a World Cup event in America earlier in the year. Normally GB’s top three are selected but on this ocassion Burton, ranked two, was left out in favour of the number four ranked Kerwood.

Burton did then go to a World Cup event in Italy in May and promptly won it, but that result was not considered as it fell just one day after the selectors met.

She said: “The selection process wasn’t followed with regards to myself not being given an equal opportunity.

“You ask yourself, ‘is it this? Is it that? But I haven’t been given any answers.

“I won’t be giving up. All I want is for the process to be set in stone and to be fair.”

Burton’s omission has provoked an outcry in the shooting industy, with the editor of Clay Shooting Wes Stanton describing the selection as ‘fundamentally unfair’.

Burton did appeal but British Shooting upheld its original decision.

She said: “This is not personal. I wish Charlotte well and know what hard work it takes. But I think a review of the way selection works is needed, or an explanation of how it works, not just for me but for everyone for the future.”

Team GB Shooting team leader Phil Scanlan said: “I completely understand, it’s really tough to get to an Olympics and this is in our home country.

“Some decisions are terribly close. There’s always a winner and a loser. You expect those athletes who are close to appeal. It can be a life-changing decision.”

To her credit, Burton says she will still go to Olympics to support the GB Shooting Team.

She said: “Many things come and go, but I know deep down what I’m capable of and where I should be.”