O’Sullivan takes slow start to season in her stride

SONIA O’SULLIVAN admitted yesterday she is taking longer than anticipated to get back on track ahead of the world championships in Paris next month.

However, she insisted in Dublin yesterday - where she was launching the BUPA Great Ireland run which switches from Loughrea to the Phoenix Park this year - that panic was the furthest thing from her mind as the countdown to the championships begin.

The former world champion said she is taking some time to get back on track after four weeks of training at altitude in the Alpine resort of St Moritz. She launched her season with a disappointing 3,000m run in Lausanne the day after she returned to sea level, celebrated her homecoming with a 1,500m victory at the BUPA Cork City Sports, but was below her best form in Gateshead last weekend.