The experienced 33-year-old centre back Lynn McCafferty (pictured top, with ball) will enjoy the honour of captaining the side at London 2012.

The 13 others named in the team are Jane Mayes (pictured below), Sarah Hargreaves, Zoe van der Weel, Holly Lam-Moores, Ewa Palies, Kathryn Fudge, Nina Heglund, Yvonne Leuthold, Marie Gerbron, Kelsi Fairbrother, Britt Goodwin, Louise Jukes and Lyn Byl.

Team GB will face Montenegro, Russia, Croatia, Brazil and Angola in the group stage of the Olympic tournament.

The team has qualified for London 2012 via a host nation place but has made good progress since the GB Handball performance programme was formed in 2006 and has recorded a number of high-profile victories in the build-up to the Games.

This includes a win over African champions Angola at the London 2012 test event at the Copper Box, the handball venue for the Olympics.


The athletes were formally nominated to the BOA for selection to Team GB by British Handball, the governing body for handball in the United Kingdom.

"I am delighted to welcome the women's handball squad as officially selected members of Team GB," said Chef de Mission Andy Hunt.

"These players will have the added honour of making history as the first ever British Olympic handball players when they walk out into the Copper Box [pictured below] this summer.

"The squad has demonstrated that they are ready to deliver competitive and credible performances against the strongest handball nations in the world and I am sure that the vocal encouragement of the home support will spur them on to inspirational performances."

"The excitement around the Olympics is a buzz and British sports are going to revel in the atmosphere," said McCafferty.

"I am looking forward to showing the British public how fantastic handball is, how hard we have worked and how competitive we can be with the best handball teams in the world."


"Being selected as a member of the GB handball team to participate in the London 2012 Olympic Games is a dream come true," added goalkeeper Mayes.

"Three years ago I never thought I would be where I am today."

Although it made its Olympic debut in 1936, handball has only been a regular part of the Games programme since 1972.

While it is relatively low profile in Britain, handball is the most popular women's team sport in Europe.

Figures from British Handball show the game's popularity is on the rise, however, with a 600 per cent increase in participation in the UK in recent years – and the British team is hopeful of encouraging further participation in the sport by competing at the Games.

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