Heats fiasco denies Sonia 5,000m warm-up

SONIA O’SULLIVAN will just have one shot at the defence of her 5,000m title at the European Championships in Munich and she will not have the forceful front running of Paula Radcliffe to contend with.

Following yesterday's decision to scrap the first round heats a decision that was contested vigorously by the Irish officials here as well as by the Spanish federation there was intense speculation that the newly crowned 10,000m champion would reverse her decision not to compete because she had not been officially withdrawn by the British team management.

It was a day of political intrigue around the Olympic Stadium, much of it fuelled by speculation surrounding Radcliffe, who set the championships alight with her 10,000m victory on Tuesday night and if she would attempt the double in the 5,000m a double completed successfully by O'Sulllivan four years ago in Budapest.