THE IAAF's technical committee yesterday faced a major row over the format of the women's 5,000 metres just 48 hours before the track and field programme opens in the Olympic Stadium.

Although the official list has not been published, the preliminary entry for the championship is thought to be as high as 50.

That is 11 more than the limit which would permit the event to be staged, as scheduled, in three heats tomorrow evening with the final on Sunday.

Adhering to the letter of the law, Saturday's programme would have to be revised to include two semi finals - and that would have obvious implications for those athletes doubling up in the 10,000 metres which is due to open on the same day.

"I've been informed, unofficially, that 50 athletes have entered and according to IAAF rules. That would mean three rounds of competition," said Nick Davis, manager of the Irish track and field team.

"How it will be resolved I don't know but, at this point, it is a very worrying scenario which could after the shape of the event significantly.

Among those with most to lose are Wang Junxia (China) and Derartu Tulu (Ethiopia), two of the prime contenders for the 10,000 metres. They could now find themselves forced into an unenviable choice of event.

Both have specified the 10,000 metres as their preferred event and both are sufficiently versatile to hold realistic chances of success at the shorter distance.

For Sonia O'Sullivan, having to run in a semi final would be almost equally disturbing. True, the removal from the field of Wang and Tula - presuming they decided to concentrate on the 10,000 metres - would greatly improve her prospects of success.

But her decision to undertake a double programme at 1,500 metres and 5,000 metres was based on the premise that she would have to run only twice at the longer distance. The inclusion of an extra race could have serious consequences for her prospects of success in the 1,500.

Either way, it's a decision which is fraught with risk for the IAAF. Athletics at this level is big business and the win at all costs mentality has grown to the point where people don't hesitate to baulk others when the traffic gets heavy.

To put more than 20 into an Olympic race would be to magnify the threat here but, against that, they must consider the risks inherent in asking women to run three 5,000 metres races on consecutive days.