THE elite performance head of UK Athletics admitted yesterday that two of Britain's Olympic title hopes are uncertain even to start.

Charles Van Commenee admitted Paula Radcliffe is rated only 50-50, and he was so uncertain of former World triple jump champion Phillips Idowu that he nearly excluded him from the GB team.

The Dutchman was asked yesterday if world record-holder Radcliffe would be fit to start the marathon: "Shall we flip a coin? Basically Phillips Idowu is a big concern. Paula is always a concern. She has been on a thin line every day for the last decade."

With Beijing silver medallist Idowu having competed only three times this year, and not at all since June 1, Van Commenee had considered omitting him when the team was announced. When Idowu withdrew from the GB team for the European Cup, Van Commenee criticised him for Tweeting the information, and ended up being called "a liar" by the athlete. The pair have no relationship now.

Van Commenee conceded yesterday that the affair had become a circus. "It's not great for athletics," he admitted. "It doesn't look good on anybody, but I have only one sanction and I decided not to play that card – because of him, because of the crowd, and because the nation will cry. The question is do I sacrifice a potential gold medallist for a transparent and clear policy that makes the sport easier to run in the future – or not? And I decided to have sympathy and to give Phillips the chance to win."

He said even Idowu's coach was unsure of his level of fitness, but that he would be prepared to have the triple jumper only 70% fit. "But you need to know. What you don't want is 50% of the British team with broken legs and in wheelchairs in the Olympic Village."

Idowu has remained in the UK to be treated privately, declining to use the Team GB camp in Portugal. "I obviously would have preferred Phillips to be here. This is the best place to prepare," said Van Commenee.

The one thing he can be sure of is that Idowu will not compete at all if he can't do himself justice. Radcliffe is not necessarily the best judge. She ran poorly in Beijing four years ago, leaving Scottish reserve Hayley Haining in limbo. This time another Scot, Freya Murray, is Olympic marathon reserve. She should not hold her breath.

There was further bitter news for the sport yesterday when the world athletics body announced they have sanctioned nine athletes for doping offences. They face a minimum of two years' exclusion, and some will be banned for four years, effectively ending their careers. They have been sanctioned by their national federations and are ineligible for the Olympics.

Samples from sprinter Inna Eftimova (Bulgaria) showed synthetic growth hormone, and those from Nataliya Tobias and Antonina Yefremova of Ukraine both contained traces of synthetic testosterone. The other athletes included Russian Yevgenina Zinurova, 22-year-old Meryem Erdogan from Turkey, and Russians Svetlana Klyuka (34) and Nailiya Yulamanova (32), who accepted a two-year sanction, and 31-year-old Greek Iríni Kokkinariou. Moroccan marathon runner Abderrahim Goumri was also named. He has been given a four-year ban, which can be appealed.