O'Sullivan out of Commonwealth Games

Athletics:  Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan, who was cleared to run for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, has pulled out of Friday…

Athletics:  Ireland's Sonia O'Sullivan, who was cleared to run for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, has pulled out of Friday's 5,000 metres because of injury.

She has failed to recover from the hamstring injury suffered in training last week.

O'Sullivan, from Cobh, Co.Cork, received permission to run for Australia as she lives and trains there for six months of the year.

She was granted Australian citizenship almost two months ago and ran in the Australian trials in February.

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Under international regulations, athletes normally have to sit out international competition for three years before they can compete for another country.

That clause has not previously applied to the Games but the Commonwealth Games Federation general assembly voted last Sunday to close the loophole.

Athletes with dual citizenship must now follow international regulations.

The federation said it would be unfair to apply it in O'Sullivan's case because team selections had already been made, even though Commonwealth officials said it made a "mockery" of the competition.

Concerns over the loophole were raised after O'Sullivan said she also wanted to compete for Ireland at this year's European championships.

Reuters