Seamus Power has been told that he must pay his own way to the Fila International Cross Country in Belfast this Saturday. The organisers of the annual event have used up the race budget on foreign athletes and, if Power wants to run, he must do so at his own expense.

"It is disappointing," he said yesterday. "I'm certainly not in running for the money, but I feel I deserve something after my performances in Dunleer and the European Championships. I'm going to run anyway, but maybe they can work something out before the end of the week."

Power is eager for one more race before he leaves for a three-week training spell in Portugal along with a group of Irish athletes preparing for the World Championships in Dublin in March.

Earlier this month, the Clareman beat Mark Carroll and a duo of strong Kenyans to win the Ras Na hEireann in Dunleer and before Christmas was a key member of the Irish team that brought home bronze medals from the European Championships in Sweden.

"I know the organisers in Belfast have spent a lot of money putting together an international field. They have some Africans coming and Paula Radcliffe is running as well, and they don't come cheap.

"I believe they've actually gone over their budget, and maybe I didn't commit to the race early enough. Fila are also my gear sponsors and I may get some bonus out of them if I run well. But it shows you that there is no money in this sport unless you are at the very top."

Power will leave for Portugal on Sunday, along with his training partner Peter Matthews and also Gareth Turnbull, Cormac Smith and Cian McLoughlin - all of whom are preparing for the world tests in Leopardstown.

That trip is funded by the Athletics Association of Ireland. Among the other Irish entries for Belfast will be Anne Keenan-Buckley and Noel Berkeley.

Meanwhile, Sonia O'Sullivan features prominently in yet another end-of-year ranking list.

American magazine Track and Field News, long regarded as the bible of the sport, named O'Sullivan in second place over 5,000 metres and sixth place over 10,000 metres in their 2000 world rankings, which is chosen from an international panel of athletics writers.

Not surprisingly, Gabriela Szabo of Romania was given the top-spot over 5,000 metres, with Ethiopia's Gete Wami in third - the same positions filled in the Olympic final.

This is O'Sullivan's highest ranking in the 5,000 metres since 1995, when she headed the list for the second successive year. Top of the 10,000 metres list was Olympic champion Derartu Tulu of Ethiopia.