BLE officials are threatening legal action if any attempt is made by the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) to interfere with the duties of Nick Davis as manager of the track and field team in Atlanta.

It follows the disclosure that the OCI summoned Davis to a meeting to explain his role in the incident which led to Sonia O'Sullivan being stopped and made to change her clothing before going on track for the heats of the 5,000 metres last Friday.

As yet, Davis has not responded to that summons, but at a press conference called by the BLE yesterday it was stated that if necessary, an injunction will be sought to prevent any action against the manager.

A spokesman repeated Davis's earlier assertion that he had not alerted stadium officials to the fact that O'Sullivan might turn up in Reebok clothing as opposed to the official team uniform, manufactured by Asics, and he was not responsible, directly or indirectly, for the fact that she had to strip and change in public.

"Nick Davis is one of our most senior and trusted officials and he enjoys the full support of the board," said Christy Wall, BLE's international secretary.

It is the latest chapter in a steadily deteriorating relationship between the OCI and BLE who have been in open conflict for much of the last four years.

Initially, the point at issue was the overlap in contractual arrangements, with the OCI committed to a deal with Reebok and BLE obligated to Asics.

Now, in the wake of Sonia O'Sullivan's astounding collapse in both the 1,500 and 5,000 metres events, the debate has shifted to the medical arrangements in place in the Irish camp and the OCI's failure to accredit BLE's medical officer, Dr Brendan O'Brien.

It was pointed out at yesterday's conference that the OCI had refused to accord official status to both O'Brien and the Board's physiotherapist, Shirley Foley, while at the same time they accredited Guy McCallum, a Reebok agent, and Kim McDonald, Sonia O'Sullivan s manager, as athletics coaches.

Wall said that, in normal circumstances, BLE would appoint a team of a doctor and two physiotherapists to attend the needs of 24 athletes.

Meanwhile, O'Sullivan is due to leave Atlanta shortly to begin the process of rehabilitation after her failure to deliver on her rating as one of the athletes of the Centennial Games.

As yet, she has not broken her silence on her latest mishap in the heats of the 1,500 metres, but clearly her eclipse in that event, following quickly on her failure to finish the 5,000 metres final, will be a subject of further debate.

Judged purely in monetary terms, it has been an expensive week for the world champion in terms of contract bonuses and lost revenue from sponsorship and product endorsement schemes.

The more relevant issue in the short term, however, is how she will deal with her programme for the remainder of the season. Before arriving at Atlanta, she had mapped out a schedule which included races in Monte Carlo, Zurich, Cologne and Brussels, all major events in the grand prix season and all carrying substantial prize money.

Ultimately, that will depend on a medical report and her rate of recovery from the illness which was, undeniably, a major factor to her startling loss of form. A preliminary medical examination yesterday suggested that she has a bowel infection. The results of further tests are still awaited.

A statement issued by the OCI press officer, David Guiney, read Sonia O'Sullivan has been medically examined and investigated in the greater Atlanta area. She is at present under medical treatment and will have further follow up tests on her return home.

She will give a press conference once her condition has been resolved and has requested of her physician, Dr Conor O'Brien, that no further information regarding her condition and treatment be given until that time."

The world champion is not the only medical casualty in the Irish camp for Nick Sweeney aggravated a knee injury in the discus championship on Monday and may now require surgery on his return from Atlanta.

Sweeney, bitterly disappointed at his failure to make a bigger impact in the Games, sustained the injury before arriving in the Olympic city, but reckoned that he could still throw well enough to qualify for the concluding stages of the competition.

In the event, those hopes were mis-placed and he now faces the bleak prospect of being out of athletics for a minimum period of three months if an operation is deemed necessary to repair the damage.