UK ATHLETICS are anxious to heal the rift with fuming 400 metres star Iwan Thomas following his stinging attack on Britain's Olympic selectors.

The sport's top brass have requested a meeting with Netley's 26-year-old European and Commonwealth champion after he called the selectors "completely crooked" for axeing him from the squad and going back on their word to give him an extra week to prove his fitness.

Thomas's tirade has rocked domestic athletics to its foundations and he was besieged by a media scrum when he flew back to Gatwick yesterday lunchtime from his race in Sweden.

"It's taking time to come to terms with what has happened to me. I'm still flabbergasted," he confessed. "I'm touched by the reaction and support I have had. It really helps at a time like this."

Thomas's coach Mike Smith confirmed he had been in touch with UK Athletics' chief executive Dave Moorcroft and plans are afoot for the two parties to meet within the coming week.

"UKA want a round-the-table discussion to sort this out and I'm certainly in favour of that," he said.

Thomas might take a little more persuading having been quoted in the heat of moment after Tuesday's bombshell as saying: "I don't ever want to speak to the selection committee again because I just feel completely lied to."

Meanwhile, the selector at the centre of the controversy, UKA's technical director Graham Knight insists: "I can categorically say that at no stage did I say he would be given another week. He was aware of all the possibilities."

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