After the race ground to a halt it was discovered the third obstacle was positioned in the wrong place.

The hurdlers, who normally take three strides before each barrier, found themselves struggling to find a fourth as a result of the mistake – which caused total confusion.

America's Gi-Gi Johnson survived the mishap but the race was declared void, with her rivals struggling to regain their balance after the incident.

After the embarrassment at one of the world's most significant non-championship meetings, officials decided the race should take place at the end of the competition.

Sotherton, clearly concerned after the mishap, had earlier cleared a personal best of 6.79m to win the long jump in the women's four-event competition – which concludes today.

That was a massive improvement on her previous best performance of 6.68m – achieved four years ago – and augurs well for next month's Olympic Games.

She said: "I have had so many issues this year with injury and illness so I am delighted to jump a personal best like that today."

Emily Freeman (Wakefield) was beaten into sixth place in the 200m at Crystal Palace.

In a very high class race, Freeman was ranked seventh on times and so it was a satisfactory performance for the Wakefield athlete. She did not get the best of starts in lane six and will have been disappointed with her time of 23.22 compared to her best of 27.72, although there was a significant headwind.

Allyson Felix (USA), one of the favourites for Beijing was beaten into fourth place in 23.00 as Jamaican Sherone Simpson stormed ahead to win in 22.70.

Wakefield high jumper Martyn Bernard trailed 11th and last, unable to clear his second height of 2.20. Andrey Silnov (Russia) won with a superb 2.38.

Bradley Wiggins has no doubt Tour de France sensation Mark Cavendish will be ready to go for gold in Beijing.

Cavendish, fresh from winning four stages in world cycling's showpiece event this month, will be Wiggins's Olympic partner in the madison.

The 23-year-old could also contest the individual pursuit for Great Britain, although that is subject to trials at Manchester velodrome during the next few days.

Welshman Geraint Thomas was due to ride the individual discipline, but the final of that punishing event is the night before team pursuit qualification rounds begin, when Thomas will be part of a major British gold medal bid.

Cavendish, though, faces probable further trials in Beijing to assess his track form and would have plenty of recovery time between the madison and individual pursuit events.

He withdrew from the Tour de France last week to concentrate on Beijing.

Wiggins said: "Cav's performances were no surprise. If he had stayed to the end in Paris, he would have won five stages.

"He has come out at the right time, and he has got the best part of four weeks to get himself right.

"He will be ready to go, definitely."

Wiggins and fellow defending Olympic champion Chris Hoy spearhead a 25-strong British cycling team harbouring realistic gold medal hopes in at least half-a-dozen disciplines.

China named their largest ever Olympic squad on Friday in an effort to ensure the Beijing Games becomes the most successful in the country's history.

The hosts will field 639 athletes in 28 events and 38 disciplines as they bid to surpass the 32 golds and 63 medals collected in Athens four years ago.