Kayak pair finally named for GB

Walker (front) and Hemmings have been racing together since April

Anna Hemmings and Jessica Walker have been added to the list of British canoeists travelling to the Olympics.

The pair, whose selection was delayed by a month following qualification complications, will compete in the women's K2 (kayak double) 500m event.

Hemmings, 31, is a veteran of the Sydney Olympics, but 18-year-old Walker said she was "delighted" and "really lucky" to be going to her first Games.

"Competing at the Olympics is an incredible opportunity," said Hemmings.

Having failed to qualify outright for Beijing, the British K2 boat's fate rested on a complex situation involving the Spanish team.

Fellow flatwater paddlers Tim Brabants and Lucy Wainwright, both European champions, were named in the British squad for the Olympics in June.

"I am delighted that we have now secured the women's K2 boat," said John Anderson, the British Canoe Union's performance director.

"At 18 years old, Jessica is the youngest female to compete in flatwater racing at an Olympics. Together the pair are certainly capable of reaching the finals."

Walker and Hemmings are currently preparing for the Games in Hungary, where Walker will test her form at this weekend's U23 European Championships.