Two athletes who have achieved the Aqualification standard for the Olympic 5,000 metres will not travel to Sydney for the Games. A decision will be made by the Olympic Council of Ireland before this Friday as to who will join the Irish team.

Sonia O'Sullivan has run the fastest 5,000 metres time of 15 minutes 10.24 seconds when she won in Australia in February of this year, with Breda DennehyWillis just behind with a 15:12.83 run at Hechtel over the weekend. The third-fastest time of 15:17.57 has been achieved by Limerick's Rosemary Ryan, also in Hechtel, with Marie McCambridge and Una English on 15:18.78 and 15:31.93 respectively. All five times were comfortably inside the 15:35.00 A-qualifying standard.

However, each country is allowed to enter a maximum of three athletes in one event and it now falls on the OCI to prune the five into a three-person Irish team.

"It is a situation we have never faced," said an OCI spokesperson. "All the cards will be put on the table and, really, times would appear to be the most equitable way to make the decision." It is understood O'Sullivan wishes to keep her options open in both the 5,000 and 10,000 metres as does Dennehy-Willis, who favours the shorter distance. The 5,000 metres is first up on the schedule in Sydney, thus allowing the runners possibly to compete in the two events.

Having signed IOC contracts, the athletes will have to accept any decision made by the body regarding selection. According to an official of the Athletics Association of Ireland, the National Championships in Santry on August 19th-20th are unlikely to double up as Olympic trials as was rumoured over the weekend. A number of the athletes taking part in the championships will be flying to Sydney with the Irish team the following day.

Former Olympic 5,000 metres champion Dieter Baumann, whose doping case was referred to arbitration by athletics' world governing body last week, said he planned to run the marathon after the Sydney Olympics. "I have never had so much fun running as at the moment," said Baumann, who is still hoping to compete in Sydney. "That's why I want to run the marathon after the Olympics."

The 35-year-old German has denied any wrongdoing after testing positive for nandrolone last November. He said his toothpaste was spiked. Baumann was cleared to run by the German Athletics Federation last June.