A no-show from the British men's team at the world halfmarathon has caused " anxiety" among top brass at the International Association of Athletic Federations.
While Britain's women's team put up a fighting display - in the absence of three-time champion Paula Radcliffe - to finish fifth in Edmonton, there was no representation from this country's male runners.
The withdrawal of Jon Brown left Britain with noone in the men's race, prompting IAAF general secretary Istvan Gyulai to express the world governing body's disappointment with UK Athletics.
"We are following the ethics of our British friends with some anxiety and also with sympathy," said Gyulai, who fears for the UK's standing as a front-runner in world athletics.
"A lot of attention needs to be focused on athletics in Great Britain, especially now that the 2012 Olympics will be held there."
Britain's women did all they could to make up for the men's absence, with a highly creditable showing at a meeting which attracted a large number of top global distance runners.
Mara Yamauchi, Hayley Haining and Sue Partridge were the scoring trio, while Tipton Harrier Debbie Mason also produced a commendable performance.
Romania were led to team honours by individual race winner Constantina Tomescu-Dita with Russia, Japan and Ethiopia ahead of the Britons. It matched the placing of two years ago when Radcliffe won her last title in Vilamoura and was the best position since their fourth place in 2001on home soil in Bristol.
Yamauchi finished 18th and Haining and Partridge doggedly improved in the latter stages to 24th and 25th at the finish. Mason, just back from a hamstring injury, was 52nd.
