SONIA O'SULLIVAN'S preparations for the World Championships in Athens are likely to see her take on British champion Kelly Holmes in Sheffield next Sunday.

Although Holmes has yet to decide between the 800 and 1,500 metres races, the likelihood is that she will opt for the longer distance. And that will offer O'Sullivan a chance of levelling the score after a surprising defeat at Gateshead two years ago.

Then as now, O'Sullivan had embarked on a difficult early, season programme, the prelude, ironically, to a marvellous spell that brought her the world 5,000 metres championship at Gothenburg.

A similar rate of improvement now, would be hugely welcome in the O'Sullivan camp, encouraged by last Saturday's win at the Mardyke but wary after a couple of disturbing defeats in Paris and Nuremburg.

Holmes, too, has been less than convincing in some of her runs this year but at Munich last Sun day, there were unmistakable signs of the old verve which caught the mood of an authoritative British team performance.

True, she struggled to break 4 minutes 5 seconds when winning the 1,500 metres but it was an outstanding run under pressure.

Second was Gabriela Szabo of Romania, the Olympic silver medalist at the distance and the woman who illustrated a new sense of self belief when out pacing O'Sullivan over the last lap of the world 3,000 metres indoor championship in Paris in March.

Add in the name of the Russian, Irina Biryukova and it amounted to a highly significant win for the British athlete, already installed as one of the long range favourites for a medal in Athens.

Before O'Sullivan arrives in Sheffield, she will have been in action over 3,000 metres in Paris tomorrow but it is the English assignment, followed by her only 5,000 metres run of the season in Oslo the following Friday, which is commanding her attention.

Of the two, Oslo is the more important as it will tell much about her midseason form and how she is running just a month before the biggest challenge of her season in Greece.

"That will be the most important race I will run this side of Athens," she says. "And I like to think that my runs in Paris and Sheffield, will give me an extra edge before I get there".

Also in action in Paris tomorrow will be Marcus O'Sullivan who will be hoping to benefit from his run at the Mardyke when he goes to the start line for the 1,500 metres event.

It now seems unlikely that Gary Ryan's time of 20.69 seconds, recorded in Cork, will earn him a new national 200 metres record and the bonus of a Cooper and Lybrand financial reward.

The result sheet of the Cork meeting records the strength of the wind during Ryan's run as being just under the permitted limit at 1.8. This clearly surprised onlookers who judged it to be closer to five than to two at the time of the 200 metres race.

Later, the figure was amended to 4.8 but there was still some confusion yesterday if this was the correct figure. It is acknowledged, however, that it is unlikely to be forwarded to BLE's records committee for the purpose of ratification.

The Irish schools team for the quadrangular meeting with England, Scotland and Wales at Santry on July 19th, will be chosen after the Nestle Tailteann Games at Tullamore next Saturday.

The centrepiece of the programme will be an interprovincial competition at intermediate (under 17) level which will feature many of those who distinguished themselves in the National Championships.

On the evidence of the schools season to date, the standard of the sport at this level is as high as ever.