SONIA O'SULLIVAN may decide today whether to resume her grand prix programme next week following her expensive failures in the Olympic Games.

A spokesman for Kim McDonald, O'Sullivan's agent, said that it was hoped to make an announcement on the athlete's immediate programme on the receipt of the results of further medical tests.

O'Sullivan complained of feeling unwell after she dropped out of the 5,000 metres final, and was later said to be suffering from a virus after she failed even more unexpectedly in the preliminaries of the 1,500m.

Within 24 hours of returning to her home in London last Sunday, she underwent additional tests, and it is the outcome of these which will determine if she returns to competition next week.

While O'Sullivan waits and wonders, other Irish athletes are already putting their grand prix plans in place. Catherina McKiernan, a finalist in the Olympic 10,000m, plans to return in time for the meeting in Cologne.

Niall Bruton is still negotiating with meet promoters, but he said yesterday that he wants to run in at least two grand prix events in the hope of rediscovering the form which deserted him in Atlanta.