IRELAND'S Niall Bruton won the Wanamaker Mile at the Millrose Games in New York for the second time in three years. Bruton covered the 11 laps around the steeply-banked Madison Garden track in four minutes 0.58 seconds.
But Bruton was low-key in victory, noting that pre-race favourite Marcus O'Sullivan was injured. "I guess some guys are not ready right now," said Bruton, the 1994 Wanamaker Mile champion.
O'Sullivan had been troubled by a sore leg and was a doubtful starter right up until the gun went off. The 34-year-old Irishman was bidding for his sixth Wanamaker Mile victory in pursuit of the meet record of seven, held by fellow countryman Eamonn Coghlan.
O'Sullivan took second place for the third consecutive year, but he never really challenged Bruton, clocking 4:02.52.
Meanwhile, Waterford's Susan Smith added her name to the list of those with Olympic qualifying times when she won the 400 metre hurdles at the Boland Bank international meet in Pretoria with her time of 56.84 seconds - inside the `B' standard for the event. The 24-year-old financial analyst, currently based in Atlanta, was drawn in the unfavourable lane six, but when the other athletes drew alongside her in the home straight she battled hard and was rewarded with both victory and the Olympic qualifying time.
This time represents quite an improvement for Smith.
Gold medals eluded the small Irish contingent at the British AAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham's National Indoor Arena over the weekend but four silvers were notched up. Star performer was Jim Hallissey, who equalled the Irish indoor pole vault record with a clearance of 4.90 metres en route to finishing second in the men's heptathlon.
British-based Jonathan Kron put behind him last year's three months drug ban - he was the first Irish athlete to receive such a sanction - by leaping 7.47 metres in the long jump.
Dublin City Harriers' T J Kearns ran 7.86 seconds in the 60m hurdles for silver on Saturday and the quartet was completed by Minerva's Monica Grafsted, who finished in the same position in the women's 60m hurdles, crossing the line in 8.35 seconds.
