Sport in short: Athletics

AFTER the annual convention of USA Track and Field, Ollan C Cassell, its executive director and an International Amateur Athletic Federation official, said that events in the United States sanctioned by the IAAF should not be affected by differences between the bodies over the dollars 27.3 (pounds 18m) award to Butch Reynolds who sued the IAAF after he was suspended for two years for allegedly failing a drug test in 1990.

The American body passed a resolution opposing any further suspension of Reynolds. It also approved resolutions to abolish the IAAF contamination rule, where athletes who compete against suspended athletes are suspended, and for member federations to receive one-third of the gross revenue from the world championships to pay athletes for their performances. Cassell said the resolutions were intended to initiate change from within the system.

LINFORD CHRISTIE was awarded the London AC Centenary Trophy by the British Athletic Federation. Sally Gunnell won the Sybil Abrahams Memorial Trophy.

DERARTU TULU, of Ethiopia, and Elana Meyer, of South Africa, who came first and second in the women's 10,000 metres at the Barcelona Olympics, will compete in the County Durham International cross-country meeting on 2 January.

PALERMO MARATHON: 1 D Karel (Cz) 2hr 11min 47sec; 2 J C Montero (Sp) 2:13:31; 3 S Okemwa (Ken) 2:14:12.