Zürich, Switzerland - 11 August 2000
Sonia O'Sullivan (#174)
photo courtesy of IAAF
Sonia O'Sullivan ran a brilliant race in the Weltklasse 3,000m getting second after being outsprinted in the final straightaway by Gabriela Szabo, the reigning World 5k and Olympic 1,500m champion. The diminutive Romanian won in 8.26.35, the fastest time in the world this year. O'Sullivan showed last week's poor performance in London was indeed due to a stomach ailment and that it is not indicative of her present fitness. The Ballymore Cobh Olympian's time of 8.27.58 was less than five tics off her Irish record of 8:21.65 set in London on 15 July 1994.
Leevale's Mark Carroll placed twelfth in the 5,000m in 13.12.16. An excellent performance for most but the Corkman will no doubt be disappointed by not being closer to the Africans who took ten of the eleven spots ahead of him. Ethiopian Haile Gebrselassie the World Record holder in the 5,000m and 10,000m won the race in 12.57.95 extending his consecutive victory streak in races of 3,000m or longer to 42!
Sinéad Delahunty placed fourteenth in 1,500m in 4.08.98. Lidia Chojecka (Poland) won the race in 4.00.37. It's the second fastest time of the season for the Kilkenny star bettered only by her 4.05.28 run in Barcelona last month.