London 2012: Team GB marathon runner Dave Webb forced to withdraw

The British Olympic Association has announced that the Team GB marathon runner, Dave Webb, has been forced to withdraw from the London 2012 Olympics through injury. Webb, 30, has been suffering with a stress fracture and failed a fitness test at the Dartford Half Marathon. The BOA will not be nominating a replacement in the men's marathon and, with Webb's withdrawal, the number of athletes on Team GB is now 541. "We wish Dave the very best in his recovery and applaud him for offering his continued and full support to his athletics teammates," said the Team GB chef de mission Andy Hunt. Webb, a chartered accountant from a finance firm in Leeds, was a surprise selection in the first place because he does not have the A qualifying standard. However, he was eligible because of his 15th-place finish in the world championships last year, when he ran 2hr 15min 48sec.