BLE have agreed to extend the time frame for achieving qualifying standards for the marathon and 10,000 metres events in the Olympic Games at Sydney.

In each instance, figures recorded between January 1st, 1999, and September 4th, 2000, will be valid qualifying times for the Games. In all other events, with the exception of the two walking championships, the qualifying period starts on January 1st next.

The move to bring forward the dates for the 10,000 metres is seen as a concession to Sonia O'Sullivan, who travels to Australia this week to start her build-up to the Sydney Games, now little more than 10 months away.

It had been expected that O'Sullivan, who won the European championship at Budapest last year in her only 10,000 metres race to date, would wait until the New Year to seek a qualifying mark at this distance during her Australian stay.

Instead, she now proposes to make her attempt before Christmas.

Explaining the decision to amend the original dates for qualification, a BLE spokesman said: "Events like the 10,000 metres are not run nearly as often these days as was the case 20 or 25 years ago.

"It means that the opportunities for athletes to get qualifying standards at this distance are now considerably fewer, and when they do arise it is essential that they are utilised."

Meanwhile, UK Athletics president David Hemery has hit back at allegations that his organisation have gone soft on drug cheats. The British governing body have been stung by the criticism which followed the clearing of several competitors who tested positive for the banned steroid nandrolone.

But Hemery, the 1968 Olympic 400 metres hurdles champion, said: "I have real concern that some people believe that UK Athletics have gone soft on drug cheats. Nothing could be further from the truth.

"However, we have found ourselves in a very difficult situation. Our primary aim must be fairness to all athletes. This implies a level playing field, which requires regular out-of-competition drug testing.

"The athletes who have been found with nandrolone metabolites in their urine could not be proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt.

"The few positives are reported because we test. We can be proud of the fact that we police our sport and that 98.8 per cent of all tests on athletes are clean."

Now Hemery - who accepts that, while British and IAAF testing procedures are good at finding traces of banned substances, they do not identify what put them there - has announced an initiative which could see UK Athletics taking a leading role in research into supplements, metabolites and haematology.

Hemery said: "I am delighted UK Sport have agreed to have a large panel of top scientists look into the possible causes of these nandrolone findings. What we have not done well, so far, is to provide education of what can be taken."

Britain is hoping the International Athletic Foundation will provide an initial grant of £32,000 when they meet later this month in Monte Carlo in an attempt to get to the bottom of the recent nandrolone findings which have caused worldwide concern.