RENEWED health problems threaten to put 400 metres hurdles world record-holder Yuliya Pechonkina of Russia out of the Beijing Olympics.

Pechonkina has been the perennial rival for Australia's Jana Rawlinson, who beat her in Paris in 2003 and again in Osaka last year in winning her two world championships gold medals. The Russian won the title in 2005 when Rawlinson missed with a back injury.

Pechonkina's coach Valentin Maslakov, who is also the Russian head coach, said the star had just about run out of time to recover for next month's Games.

The Russian championships are in Kazan on July 17-20.

"I don't think she'll be able to recover in time and compete in Beijing," Maslakov told the All Sport news agency, hinting that the Russian was considering retirement.

"She started having health problems in April.

"She first had sinusitis, then, which is much more serious, heart problems."

Pechonkina reportedly had similar problems in 2003, experiencing dizziness and illness early in the year and then having heart problems in May.

Most of Pechonkina's rivals had written her off until she bounced back to break the world record just before the world championships.

With Rawlinson herself racing against time to hit top form after a foot injury, Athens gold medallist Fani Halkia of Greece having competed only sparingly, and this year's fastest, Lashinda Demus, failing to make the US team, the Beijing 400 hurdles is an event in desperate need of a favourite.

Rawlinson returned to competition last week for the first time since toe surgery in February, finishing second to local star Anna Jesien in 55.94 seconds at a meeting in Poland.

Jesien, the bronze medallist at last year's world championships, is also set to figure in Olympic medal calculations.

With AGENCIES