SCOTLAND'S most-capped badminton player, Kirsteen McEwan-Miller, has been excluded from the women's doubles for the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne.
The Paisley woman, already named for the mixed with Andrew Bowman, claimed she should also have been nominated for the women's doubles with Yuan Wemyss, in preference to Michelle Douglas.
Her formal appeal, heard on Tuesday evening, had delayed the announcement of Scotland's full squad for Australia.
Both the sport and the athlete are understood to have had legal representation at the hearing, which was chaired by an independent legal adviser.
The player professed herself "disappointed and more than a little surprised" at the outcome.
Her appeal, she said, was based on "perceived failings of procedure and due process" and "was never a competition between me and Michelle".
Douglas, from New Stevenston, was dismayed until she learned the panel's verdict.
McEwan-Miller won the doubles with Wemyss at the 2002 Bank of Scotland International Championships and reached a higher world ranking with her than Douglas, who took over as Wemyss' partner when McEwan-Miller took a three-month break in 2004 for her wedding.
Anne Smillie, the chief executive of badmintonscotland, was glad to draw a line under the row and wants the pair to focus on their game. She said the selectors' primary duty was "to determine which couple gave the best opportunity of maximising medal potential.
"There was no evidence to suggest the selectors did other than seek to achieve this result.
Playing form was a major factor taken into account, and the appeal panel weren't persuaded it was right for them to consider what weighting they may or may not put on any aspect."
The pair are both in Scotland's team for next Wednesday's international against Ireland and Wales in Perth.
McEwan-Miller wished "every success to Michelle and Yuan", while Douglas said: "I hope Kirsteen and I can go on and deliver medal success for Scotland in Melbourne."
