THE 1998 Commonwealth Games could be turned into a second rate event as the top athletes chase cash at the World Cup.

Primo Nebiolo, the president of the International Amateur Athletic Federation, revealed during the world half marathon championships in Majorca that the World Cup in Johannesburg in two years will finish one day before the athletics is due to begin at the Commonwealth Games on the other side of the globe in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Nebiolo is determined to protect the quality of all future IAAF competitions by banning other events being held in direct conflict. And in another move designed to ensure all the top athletes turn Lip for IAAF events, the world governing body will begin awarding prize money at all their championships and cups from next year.

A senior IAAF source confirmed substantial financial awards will be offered to winners at the world track and field championships in Athens next summer. Three years ago, Michael Johnson and other top American competitors threatened to boycott the Stuttgart World championships before they were appeased by the offer off Mercedes Benz cars to gold medallists.

Nebiolo is under increasing pressure form the IAAF sponsors to ensure that his events are of the highest possible standard. The world half marathon championships on Sunday clashed with the Berlin marathon and a big road race in Luxembourg with many top runners electing to dash for cash rather than compete here. "From next year we will protect our events much more strongly," said Nebiolo.

"This is the last time there will be competition on the same day as an IAAF event. All competitions must have a special permit and we will not give one to any event in competition with ours. We have the strength to control the sport and disqualify any athlete who takes part. We will put a three or four day window around our events. We can do what we want because we are the governing body.

The dates for the Commonwealth Games have been known for more than two years but the only compromise Nebiolo is prepared to allow is for the wavering of this window so that the athletics in Malaysia can start immediately after the three day world cup ends on September 11th. But this is of no use to the organisers because the athletes still face the problem of travelling to compete on another continent within 24 hours.