Paula Radcliffe hopes to compete in both her major events

The IAAF said it was willing to amend the events schedule at the 2004 Games to enable the British runner to compete in both.

Radcliffe, who holds the women's world marathon record, has said she may take on the double challenge if the timing is right.

She said in the Guardian newspaper: "I couldn't run a 10,000 metres if the marathon was first in Athens."

The women's marathon is currently scheduled for 22 August, with the 10,000 final just five days later on 27 August.

But IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said: "The event dates for the Olympics are not 100% set in stone yet so it is still possible to change them.

Have Your Say Paula Radcliffe's prospects

"Paula would officially need to apply to the IAAF to have the dates changed."

Davies noted that the IAAF changed the timetable of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics to allow Michael Johnson to complete a double in the 200 and 400m.

He said: "It's happened in the past, and we would certainly be interested in doing it if it was possible."

Concentrate

Davies added IAAF delegates would discuss the change at their next meeting on 5 April if Radcliffe officially asks for it.

Radcliffe and her husband-coach, Gary Lough, will make a final decision after visiting Athens to check on the marathon course.

She will defend her London Marathon title on 13 April and then concentrate on the 10,000 at the World Championships in Paris in August.

At last year's European Championships, Radcliffe almost became the second woman to run under 30 minutes for the 10,000m.

She set the world's best marathon time of 2:17:18 in Chicago last October - only her second 26-mile race.

Radcliffe also set a new 10km road race record with a time of 30 minutes and 21 seconds in Puerto Rico at the weekend.