SONIA O'SULLIVAN may take on a series of track races in South Africa as part of her preparation for the Olympic Games at Atlanta in the summer.

O'Sullivan, who is working her way back to full fitness in Australia after a disturbing tendon injury, plans to travel to Cape Town in mid. March to train with Iflana Mayer, her friend and arch rival on the track.

The Engine grand prix series incorporates attractive meetings on April 4th, 8th and 12th, and by going back to South Africa, where she competed briefly at the end of last season, O'Sullivan would be assured of some useful competition.

The Irish woman has returned to Australia for the second year for warm weather training, and plans to take in a minimum of four races during her stay there.

The South African races would facilitate her inclusion in the Irish team to compete in the world crosscountry championship at Cape Town on March 23rd.

It is four years since she competed in this event on a snowy Saturday in Boston in 1992. Since then, she has consistently stated her intention of giving it another try in the hope of improving on her seventh placing in that race.

Her inclusion in the Irish squad would greatly improve their prospects of getting among the team honours for the first time. Catherina McKiernan, now back in full training, is expected to be fit for South Africa. To this pair can be added the names of the American based athletes Sinead Delahunty and Marie McMahon.

While several Irish athletes, including Susan Smith, Anita Philpott, James Nolan and Daniel Caulfield, are still in warm weather training in South Africa, TJ Kearns and Sean Cahill have returned to compete in the British indoor championships in Birmingham next weekend.