Dwain Chambers' bid for a place at the Beijing Games was delayed until Thursday by a judge who will decide whether to overturn the British sprinter's lifetime Olympic ban.
That leaves even less time for either Chambers or the British Olympic Association to appeal the judge's verdict before Sunday's deadline to submit the squad to the International Olympic Committee.
The BOA asked for the hearing to be moved to allow chairman Colin Moynihan to return from an overseas trip. It was originally scheduled for Wednesday.
Chambers, who served a two-year doping ban between 2003-5, will ask London's High Court for an injunction against the BOA's lifetime exclusion of drug cheats ahead of a full hearing after the August Games.
The 30-year-old Chambers, who is expected to attend the hearing but not speak, had already secured an Olympic 'A' qualifying time when he won the 100 meters in 10 seconds at Saturday's British Olympic trials.
The court delay prolongs the uncertainty for other British sprinters.
Chambers and Saturday's runner-up Simeon Williamson would normally have gained automatic selection by virtue of their performances, leaving just one more place which is handed out at the BOA's discretion.
Craig Pickering and Tyrone Edgar, who finished third and fourth, are the strongest contenders, but if Chambers' case is rejected both could travel to China.