Butchart was named on the British team yesterday, with the 29-year-old selected to compete in the men’s 5,000 metres event.

The Times reported that UK Athletics had begun an investigation over comments Butchart had made in a podcast, with his spot in the British team in question.

Butchart had claimed to The Sunday Plodcast that “everyone has faked PCR tests”, having suggested he had altered the time on a COVID-19 test to allow him to return to Britain after a race in the United States.

The podcast has since been deleted.

“I’m not going to get in trouble from the police or anything like that,” said Butchart.

“You have to get a COVID test to get into the UK, so you went to a place to get a PCR test before 48 hours – and I’m with check-in and I don’t have my PCR test back.

“So you have to quickly, like, get an old PCR test, go on to Instagram, f***ing scribble out the time and the date, change the time and the date, and change it so you can get into the country.

“Obviously Covid is huge but it’s quite annoying.

“Everybody has faked PCR tests, I’m sure, to try and go somewhere, because it’s just so hard.”

Butchart has since denied faking test results.

The Rio 2016 Olympian told The Times that he had “glorified the situation” on the podcast.

“I never faked it, the test came through in time, but I’ve heard rumours of others faking tests,” Butchart said.

“I have never falsified a PCR test and have always complied with the guidelines of the countries I have been travelling in.

“I perhaps glorified the situation for the podcast but I apologise if it came across the wrong way or caused any offence to anyone, in particular Team GB and the Japanese Organising Committee, who I know are working so hard to make the Games safe for everyone.”

Butchart’s initial comments have led to UK Athletics launching an investigation.

The national governing body confirmed that his selection to the British team for Tokyo 2020 was subject to the outcome of the investigation.

“Throughout the pandemic elite sport has been privileged to receive exemptions from various guidelines to enable athletes to continue to train and compete,” a UK Athletics statement read.

“We take very seriously any suggestion that an athlete has not followed these guidelines correctly and broken any COVID-related protocols.

“As a result, this selection will stand subject to further investigation by UK Athletics.”

The investigation comes at a time when the British Olympic Association (BOA) is seeking to reassure Japanese authorities that its athletes will be safe to compete at next month’s Olympic Games.

The United Kingdom is on Japan’s red list due to concerns over the Delta COVID-19 variant, which is now the most common in the UK.

This has prompted reports athletes may face a six-day quarantine on arrival to Japan, potentially hindering final preparations.