Radcliffe main threat to O'Sullivan's 5,000m crown

By Brendan Mooney, Munich Sonia declares she is fully recovered from her silver medal 10,000m run

SONIA O'SULLIVAN made the familiar trip to the European championships podium at the Olympic Stadium in Munich last evening to collect her silver medal from the 10,000m the previous night and afterwards declared herself fully recovered from that assignment and ready to resume her campaign in defence of her 5,000m title tonight.

And it must be admitted that her chances of retaining the 5,000m title she won in Budapest four years ago were greatly enhanced yesterday when the Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo was not included in the final declarations.

The diminutive Romanian, who was outkicked by Sonia O'Sullivan for the title four years ago but came back to avenge that defeat at the Olympic Games in Sydney, had been the subject of much speculation around the Athletes' Village all week, with rumours she would be attempting what would have been a difficult 1,500m/5,000m double on account of the fact that the events overlap.

All or most of the speculation ended yesterday when she did not declare for the 5,000m heats which will be decided tonight. She still remains on the entry sheet for the 1,500m.

There could still be some slight doubt about tonight's heats of the 5,000, according to Sonia O'Sullivan. "There are 25 athletes declared and I am told that if there is one defection the heats will be cancelled and the race will be run as a straight final. But I feel a field of 24 would be too big," she said.

Regardless of what happens she is recovered from the 10,000m final and her Irish record run on Tuesday night and ready to take to the track again.

"I slept very well last night and I feel rested and ready to run again," she said. "I hope they hold heats but that will give us an opportunity to get out and stretch our legs."

She had hinted that she might opt for the 1,500m instead of the 5,000m but it did not take her long to decide and her partner Nick Bideau said she would be going in the 5,000m.

Paula Radcliffe, the athlete who has set those championships alight, was also included in the declarations but she said yesterday she would not make a final decision on her participation until this morning, leading to the suggestion that she might give it a miss if there were going to be heats this evening.

Sonia O'Sullivan was convinced Radcliffe will be on the line tonight.

"I believe she will run," she said.

The defending champion was quite pleased with her draw. She is in the first of two heats, with the first five in each going through automatically to be joined by the five fastest losers and she will have one less to contend with than Radcliffe, who has 13 in her race.

The Irish woman will renew rivalry with the tough Portuguese runner Fernanda Ribeiro who accompanied herself and Radcliffe for the early part of the trip on Tuesday night before throwing in the towel just after half way when it became obvious she was going nowhere. She was obviously keeping whatever she had in reserve for the 5,000m.

Olga Yegorova, who has been a mere shadow of herself this year after coming under suspicion for EPO last season, is also in this heat along with Hayley Yelling of Great Britain, Ireland's Una English and the exciting young Turkish runner Elvan Abeylegesse.

Radcliffe, if she goes, would have little difficulty in qualifying from the heat that includes Ireland's third representative, Maria McCambridge. Mihaela Botezan, who was fourth in the 10,000m final, is included as is Olivera Jevtic fromYugoslavia who was sixth.