Bideau "In truth, she should not have run at all"

It was far from the ending to her fifth Olympic final that Sonia O'Sullivan had dreamt of, but, having been burned off the pace after 2-and-a-half laps of tonight's 5000m final, the Cobh athlete was still thankful for the experience.

"I really don't have a lot to say," said the multi-Irish record holder, "I didn't run very well. It just wasn't there tonight."

An undeserved Greek tragedy unravelled for the 34-year-old as Chinese duo Huina Xing and Yingjie Sun injected a helter-skelter pace at 800 metres. A third kilometre of 2:46 burnt the lungs of the field and sent O'Sullivan skittling backwards.

"I felt a little bit sick in the last few days," she revealed, "and I tried as best I could to eat and drink well to give me the energy for tonight, but I didn't feel very well at the start.

O'Sullivan's coach and husband Nic Bideau also confirmed her illness afterwards.

"In truth she should not have run at all, but this was the Olympic final," said the Australian, "she has had a bad stomach problem all day and was very sick after the race."

"Even if you're a tiny bit off form in the Olympics, it shows,” said O’Sullivan. “I wish the result could have been so much better. I think at this level maybe I've have my time."

Frustratingly for O'Sullivan, who finished fourteenth in 16:20.90, with Kenyan Edith Masai dropping out, her Sydney 2000 silver medal winning time of 14:41.02 would have seen her win gold four years on.

20-year-old Meseret Defar, the oldest of three Ethiopians in the final, kicked away from Kenyan Isabella Ochichi with 250 metres remaining to win in an unimpressive 14:45.65.

Blowing kisses and waving to the healthy pocket of tricolour-waving Irish supporters, formed neatly along the final bend, O'Sullivan admitted her appreciation for their presence at the Olympic stadium.

"I want to thank all the supporters. Without them I don't think I would have finished the race. Them and the Olympic Games was what got me around the track.

"You come in great hope to the Olympics, but sometimes things don't work out the way you hope."

358 days ago a then 22-year-old Ochichi injected a early 67-second lap into the World Championships 5000m final in Paris, sending O'Sullivan to the back of the field.

She finished last then in 15:36.62, amid rumours of a career ending performance.

Final disappointment also rained down on the mother-of-two when, as world number 1, she dropped out of the Atlanta 5000m due to illness.

Athens may just witnessed the passing of a track great.