David Matthews, who pulled out of the National Indoor Athletics Championships at Nenagh at the weekend because of illness, has cancelled plans to compete in Stockholm and Athens this week.

It is likely to mean the end of the indoor season for Matthews who was hoping to win a place in the Irish team for the European championships at Valencia (February 27th-March 1st).

After winning a good race at Ghent a week last Sunday, he found himself unable to compete at the weekend, however, leaving his UCD clubmate, James Nolan, to take the 800 metres nomination for Valencia.

A decison on whether Ireland will be represented in the short or long course events for women in the World Cross Country Championships at Marrakesh on March 22nd will be made by BLE at the weekend.

The national senior inter-club championships are scheduled for Bree, Co Wexford next Sunday and the selectors will await the evidence of that programme before committing themselves to a decision.

This is the first occasion that the IAAF has seen fit to divide the World Championships into short and long races and the sequel to that decision is likely to be a reshaped domestic championship competition next season.

BLE officials are currently examining a proposal whereby the national inter-counties championship, normally run in December, would be staged over the shorter distance with the national inter-club championship in February catering for the distance specialists.

This in turn would provide them with a line to form in their selection of teams for the world tests but unfortunately they don't currently have that kind of evidence available to them as they make ready for Marrakesh.

Sonia O'Sullivan has indicated that she would prefer to run at the shorter distance and with Catherina McKiernan not a factor on this occasion BLE may change tack and agree to facilitate the Cobh athlete.