Sonia O'Sullivan illustrated once again that she is moving slowly towards the form that earned her past European and World Championship gold when she came fourth in the first of the Golden League series in the Bislett Games in Oslo.
O'Sullivan was beaten to the line by the Russian double Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova, running in only her second race of the season following Achilles tendon surgery last autumn. Kutre Dulecha from Eithiopa was second in 4:01.80, a new national record, with Romanian 5,000 metre World Champion Gabriela Szabo in third place in 4:03.18.
Given the exceptionally high quality of the field, O'Sullivan will be content that she was within striking distance at the end, although her time of 4:01.05 over the same distance in the Bratislava meet on June 9th of this year would have put her in second place. O'Sullivan's final time of 4:03.58 was well down on Masterkova, but compares well to Carla Sacramento's run of 4:05.82 in ninth place. Sacramento is the reigning 1,500 metre world champion, so O'Sullivan may well take a positive view of her own first world class race since the World Championships last summer. Also behind the Irish girl was Kenyan Jackline Maranga, who beat O'Sullivan into second place in Bratislava.
Masterkova's 4:01.37 was not the fastest time in the world run so far this season, but like O'Sullivan is clearly making her way back to full racing health.
The fourth-place finish earned O'Sullivan $4,000 and eight Grand Prix points, with Masterkova pocketing $15,000 and 12 Grand Prix points. Each athlete will collect points in their individual events over 12 meetings, with the six Golden League competitions providing the richest pickings.
The women's 1,500m is one of only five events where athletes can earn points, so O'Sullivan's summer is likely to be one of the most competitive of her career, with the same runners targeting this event. Masterkova, however, is now the only possible winner of the $1 million dollar prize at the Grand Prix final in September, where only the champions of each of the six events plus the Moscow final can claim the jackpot.
Six-time world pole vault champion Sergei Bubka was, like O'Sullivan, an early casualty in the race for the $1 million. Bubka, who had set out his season around the series and had even decided not to compete in the European Championships in Budapest in August, failed to clear his opening height of 5.60 metres, the opening meeting of the series.
"My only comment is 'no comment," he said, before leaving the stadium.
Briton Mark Richardson claimed the ultimate scalp, beating American legend Michael Johnson in the 400m. Richardson stormed home in 44.37 seconds with British record holder Iwan Thomas second in 44.50.
World and Olympic champion Johnson had to settle for third place in 44.58.
Richardson, drawn in the inside lane, was last at 200 metres but finished very strongly to claim a memorable victory. Savouring his win, Richardson said: "This is one of the best 400m fields ever assembled in a Grand Prix, and I've won it so I'm very pleased. I've come out and shown the world what I can do.
