Sonia scores on the double
In the process she put the 5,000m qualifying standard for the European Championships behind her with a sparkling 15:20.11 run which is also a championship record.
Mark Carroll came back from a disappointing week to repeat his 1,500m/5,000m double of three years ago and, on a spectacular day, Paul McKee from Belfast broke his own national record for 400m with a sensational 45.58 run.
All week, the talk had been about Sonia O’Sullivan and another 800m/1,500m double, but few could have envisaged the 800m success followed, 21 minutes later, by success in the 5,000m.
“In fact it was something I only thought about on the flight from London this morning,¨ she admitted. ¨I knew I would be going for a run after the 800m and I did not really know where I would do it because I don´t know the roads around here. I thought why not run the 5,000m instead so I decided I would look at the schedule when I arrived.
“When I saw the schedule I phoned Alan (Storey) and told him I had something totally crazy to ask him and he told me he knew what it was about. He told me to go ahead.”
She went out and won a very competitive 800m in 2:04.91, reclaiming a title she last won in 2000 as part of an 800m/1,500m double.
Maria Lynch (Dundrum/South Dublin) set the early pace, tracked by Kelly McNiece (Lisburn) and defending champion, Aoife Byrne (DSD) and Sonia O´Sulllivan. When they reached half way in 62.37 secs, Sonia O´Sullivan moved into second place. With 200m to go McNiece loomed up as a threat but O´Sullivan took control of the race on the bend and sprinted clear in the finishing straight to win from McNiece, 2:06.04, and Maria Lynch, 2:06.19 for her 10th national track title.
“I knew it was going to be a difficult race to win. Anyone can beat me over 800m if they are fit enough so I knew I was going to have to run fast. I was not looking behind me when I got in front,¨ she said. She only took time to change her shoes before returning to the track for the 5,000m - electing to run in her training shoes. “They were all I had,” she said. “But they were no problem. I was running 30 second 200´s in them last week.”
But they did not cause her any problems as she settled in behind super-vet Anne Keenan-Buckley (North Laois) who got the field into a good rhythm.
“It was very good of Anne to take it out like that,¨ Sonia said. ¨But I got into a nice rhythm.”
Una English (DCH), also chasing a qualifying standard, and Maria McCambridge stayed close. They went through 1,000m in 3:03 and O’Sullivan took the lead at the end of four laps.
A succession of 74-second laps saw her move clear of the field and Una English moved up into second place and, for a long time she, too, was on target for a qualifying standard.
But she lost contact with the leader who passed 2k in 6:08 and 3k in 9:12 and will join Sonia O’Sulllivan in the 5,000m in Hechtel next Saturday.
“I would like to run a really fast time in Hechtel. I am going there to run fast,” Sonia said. “I won’t make any predictions but I will run as fast as I can.
“I have been running 100 miles a week so I needed to get in some fast work today. I am in pretty good shape right now and pretty happy with the way my training has been going. I´ll get in some faster work now.”
Breda Dennehy-Willis, the holder, did not defend her title yesterday. She is injured and will miss the European Championships.
Mark Carroll was never going to achieve the qualifying standard for 5,000m in yesterday´s final which he led all the way to win in 13:43.68 but he admitted he was delighted to have completed the race having dropped out of his two previous races in Cork and Rome where he got into involved in the early dust up with the Africans on Friday night.
“It was too fast. we ran 2:01.4 for 800m and 4:11 for the mile and I was not ready for that. It was a mistake,¨ he admitted yesterday.
But this time he was delighted with what was a smooth performance. He settled in outside of Killian Lonergan in a pack that also included Robert Connolly and Dermot Donnelly. The opening lap was 67 seconds but when Carroll took over the pace quickened to 64 seconds and he took them to 1,000m in 2:43 with everyone dropping back to form a five-man chasing goup. He passed 2k in 5:25 and 3,000m in 8:08 looking comfortable.
“Maybe I could have done the qualifying standard if I had put my mind down to it but it is difficult when you are on your own. You would need someone,¨ he said.
“But I am happy with that. I felt good today - much better than I have been feeling all week. I felt there was bounce in my legs and that is something I did not have.”
He will have the perfect opportunity to achieve the qualifying standard (13:32) in Hechtel on Saturday and, after that, he will join Ireland’s race walkers at the training camp in Salzburg to put the finishing touches to his preparations for the European championships.
He sprinted clear of the field with 300m to go to win the 1,500m in 3:45.90 and complete the double for the second time.
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