Winter Olympics 2014: Former British sprinter Craig Pickering begins desperate final run for Sochi Games Pickering's decision means his participation in the Games is now at risk, however, because British Olympic Association selection rules dictate that only crews ranked in the top 20 in the world can go to the Games. While Jackson's qualification is assured, Deen is in 18th place with crews from France, the Czech Republic and Switzerland breathing down his neck. With just two ranking European Cup races to go in Igls, Austria, today and St Moritz next weekend before the final cut-off, it promises to be a tense week ahead. "I'm not going to say we're certain to qualify but right now we're 18th and, barring any mishaps, if we finish reasonably well this weekend we'll be almost guaranteed of our place," Pickering said. It does play on my mind a little that I might not make it but every time you do sport, the gamble is that you won't be successful. I'll be devastated if I don't make the Olympics, but so will everyone else in the squad as well because that's what we all want. It's not just about me. Pickering asked to be moved out of Jackson's crew after the World Cup race in Winterburg, Germany, last weekend when they finished a lowly 14th. Pickering had been given his chance in place of Benson. I've been in every position in Jacko's crew and I think the other crew members were getting a bit frustrated that they couldn't get a settled team, so after the weekend I asked to be removed from that crew because it wasn't helping them achieve their goals and I wasn't enjoying the experience. I was getting frustrated at being chopped and changed. I'm much happier in Lamin's crew, helping him achieve his goals, than being on the fringes of a crew that don't necessarily want me there. I do sport to try and win medals at the Olympic Games and with the greatest respect to Lamin, we're not going to win a medal at the Olympic Games, whereas Jacko could well win a medal. But, at the end of the day, it wasn't really working out as well as we would have hoped. The best result for British Bobsleigh is to win a medal and I felt that me being there in Jacko's crew wasn't helping. The other three brakemen were the team who were at the World Championships last year when they came fifth, so I think they felt they deserved to be kept together as a crew and I felt that, having scored exceptionally well on the selection trials, that I deserved to be part of that crew. Because the only thing that was different was me, any time something went wrong I could see them starting to think that the reason it wasn't going very well was "Craig." I felt more comfortable that they would work better as a three if I wasn't there. Despite his failure to command a spot in the first-choice crew, Pickering says he is committed to bobsleigh in the future and that, following a few cameo track appearances in the summer, his athletics career is "all finished for me now." He is even considering training to become a bobsleigh pilot in time for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, if funding permits. Having described his first run down an ice chute a year ago as like being on "a roller coaster on acid," Pickering says he is pleased with how far he has progressed. I literally had one month before I was competing in the World Cup and my third race was the World Championships, so I was very much out of my depth. But now I feel I belong and that I'm a very competent brakeman. I've learned a lot and only just missed out on a place in the main crew. I'm probably the fourth best brakeman in the country, so I've done pretty well. Others who turned to bobsleigh By Kristian Nammack LOLO JONES The American was recognised as one of women's athletics" quickest hurdlers, winning the World Indoor Championships over 60m and finishing fourth at London 2012. She switched to bobsleigh after the Games and made the US team last October. A genuine medal prospect in Sochi. JESSE LUMSDEN Formerly one of the standout players in the Canadian Football League, the running-back was coveted by NFL franchises such as the Seattle Seahawks and Washington Redskins. After a run of injuries, he was invited by the Canadian bobsleigh team to serve as a brakeman and is now one of the elite pushers in the sport. JASON GARDENER The "Bath Bullet" - an Olympic gold medallist in the 4x100m relay at the Athens Games in 2004 and winner of multiple indoor titles - finished sixth in the British two-man bob championship in 2009 after just a short amount of training.Turned down the chance to try and qualify for the 2010 Winter Olympics.