Gunnell out of Gothenburg

Athletics

Sally Gunnell last night confirmed that she will miss the World Championships in Gothenburg. She was disappointed with two comeback races in Germany at the weekend and has withdrawn from Britain's 4x400 metres relay squad.

She had previously abandoned her defence of the 400m hurdles title because of Achilles and heel injuries. Also out of the team is men's 400m hurdler Peter Crampton with a knee injury.

The British Athletic Federation yesterday aligned itself in support of Diane Modahl as it criticised the International Amateur Athletic Federation for its decision to refer her doping case to arbitration. The BAF spokesman, Tony Ward, said the federation would tell the IAAF that the evidence given by Modahl's team raised enough doubts about the original conviction to reverse the guilty verdict.

"The evidence brought before our appeal panel raised sufficient doubt for us to clear Diane," Ward said. "I think we regret very much that the IAAF didn't wait to read the transcript of the whole hearing and gain the evidence that was put before that appeal panel before they made their decision."

The international authorities will study video evidence before ratifying Ivan Pedroso's world-record-breaking long jump in Sestriere last Saturday. Doubts have been cast over the official wind reading for the leap of 8.96 metres, after pictures showed a man standing in front of the wind-measuring machine alongside the track just before the Cuban set off.

"We want all our world records to be watertight. If necessary, we are prepared to look at video evidence," said the International Amateur Athletic Association's general secretary, Istvan Gyulai. Only one other competitor managed a jump with the wind level below the legal limit.