BLE officials may be about to present Sonia O'Sullivan with another problem as she agonises about whether to run in the World Cross Country Championship in Turin next month.

O'Sullivan indicated some time ago that she would wait until after the World Indoor Championships in Paris next week before deciding whether to go to Turin on March 23rd.

That timetable has now been put at risk, however, by BLE's insistence that they must be informed of her plans before March 7th when they hold their management committee meeting in Dublin. Depending on whether heats are necessary in the 3,000 metres in Paris, it is possible that O'Sullivan may not have run by the time judgments about selection are made in Dublin.

The issue has the potential to land the BLE in another major controversy, but a spokesman said yesterday that there are no plans to reconvene the committee meeting to assess form in the indoor championships. He indicated that O'Sullivan will be made aware of the situation on her return to London from Australia.

The world 5,000 metres outdoor champion has only competed in the world championship cross country race on one occasion, finishing seventh in 1992. But with the advent of prize money for all major IAAF championship events, she is now giving serious consideration to the challenge of running in Turin.

It is expected that Catherina McKiernan will be confirmed as an individual entry at the March 7th meeting of the selectors.

BLE said yesterday that they have requested clarification of the eligibility rules from the IAAF before deciding if UCC student Freda Davoren can be added to the squad for the indoor championships. Davoren failed by just 56 hundredths of a second to make the 800 metres qualifying time.

With Susan Smith still recuperating from an injury sustained during her South African tour last month, there are only two women in the Paris-bound squad - Sonia O'Sullivan (3,000 metres) and the American-based Sinead Delahunty (1,500 metres).