"It would be miraculous [for Radcliffe to win]," Collins admitted. "But I think there is a possibility of her competing otherwise we would not be going down this process. If she goes, she will go ready to perform."
What was most alarming, though, was how little Collins, the man at the helm, appeared to know of Radcliffe's progress in the Pyrenees.
"As far as I believe, from the statements she has issued, she is running at the moment," he said. "But I don't know the schedule she's doing."
Meanwhile, as Dwain Chambers prepared for Thursday's court hearing into his Olympic eligibility, it seemed unlikely that two more of the major contenders for the remaining 100 metres places, Tyrone Edgar and Marlon Devonish, would be fit to race again before Saturday's deadline.
Edgar suffered a hamstring injury in the trials semi-final at the weekend while Devonish has not shaken off the illness which wrecked his 100m chances in Birmingham, so the path is being cleared for Craig Pickering to be granted selection alongside Simeon Williamson, regardless of what happens in the Chambers court case.
If Chambers is picked, Collins made it clear that he would not be treated as a pariah by fellow Team GB athletes. "If he's on the team, he will be treated the same as any other athlete," Collins said. "People don't get on with each other for a variety of reasons but we're part of the same team, we're part of Team GB. We're going to support each other."
