Sonia rounds on critics of her selection for Australia

SONIA O’SULLIVAN has hit out at critics of her selection for Australia at the Commonwealth Games.

Frustrated at personal attacks since the team announcement, the former world champion and Olympic silver medallist said the level of misinformation about her recent citizenship and 5000m selection had shocked her.

“Every Tom, Dick and Harry has felt the need to express their opinion about my selection,” she said.

“I have no problem with people having an opinion, however, I feel that there are some people who are making statements without any knowledge of what they are talking about.”

The suggestion that she is keeping a young Australian out of the team and was only selected because of the influence of her partner, leading coach Nic Bideau, has outraged Sonia.

O’Sullivan ran second at the selection trials in Sydney, finishing just 0.76sec inside the required B-standard qualifying time.

Her selection was guaranteed when former world cross-country champion Benita Johnson elected to focus on the 10,000m at the Games.

“Nic Bideau has not got his own way with my selection, I have earned my selection to be part of the Australian team,” she said.

“I cut it a bit close at the trials, but I knew it was going to be difficult.

“I was unsure if my citizenship would come through in time for the trials. I had been doing a lot of marathon training at Falls Creek, so the trials kind of snuck up on me and I was under-prepared to run 5000m on the track.

“It was not for myself that I was able to get through those last few laps with less than a second to spare. It was for my family, friends and training partners who were all at the track to cheer me on.”

The 36-year-old mother of two, whose children were born in Melbourne and attend kindergarten there, first went to Australia in 1995. She has split her time between Australia, London and Ireland while following the running circuit for a decade.

O’Sullivan said she had received no favours when applying for citizenship.

“There were no short cuts or favouritism,” she said. “I did not expect to be treated any different to the thousands of other applicants.

“I am very excited to finally have my Australian passport, not just as it allows me to compete for Australia at the Commonwealth Games, but because I can now stay in Australia for as much time as I want to.”