O'Sullivan's showdown with Radcliffe is off

ATHLETICS/News round-up: After contesting a minor "double" at the weekend Sonia O'Sullivan will run in the 3,000 metres at the Sheffield Grand Prix this Sunday. However, she will not be renewing her rivalry with London marathon winner Paula Radcliffe who will miss the event because of a virus.

Radcliffe, who had been due to run the 3,000 metres, said yesterday she had not recovered from the virus which kept her out of the European Cup in Annecy, France, at the weekend. "I am still on antibiotics and the meeting unfortunately comes too soon for me," she said.

O'Sullivan said yesterday that Sheffield would be one of her more challenging tests ahead of the European Championships in Munich in August, yet her form continues to improve. Two 1,500 metre races on Saturday underlined her progression.

At the low-key Milers Club meeting in Solihull, Birmingham, O'Sullivan first won the women's race in four minutes 9.06 seconds. But not entirely happy with that, she was back on the track 90 minutes later to clock 4:05.94 in the men's race, finishing in ninth place.

"I felt very fresh after the first race," said O'Sullivan, "and it took so little out of me that I decided to race again, and ended up with a very good afternoon's work. Everything is still building up towards the Europeans though it's still a bit early to start getting too excited."

The leading American, Marla Runyan, who narrowly defeated O'Sullivan over 3,000 metres in Oregon last month, is also in the Sheffield line-up.

After Sheffield, O'Sullivan returns home for the Cork City Sports on July 6th, then runs the National Championships in Santry a week later, before seeking the European qualifying time over 5,000 metres at the Hechtel meeting in Belgium on July 20th.

The Irish teams, meanwhile, returned home yesterday from their European Cup in Tallinn, Estonia in a mixed mood. While the women gained promotion for the first league next year by winning their eight-nation group, the men missed out by taking third - a result well below their expectations.

It was revealed yesterday, however, that the main reason they failed to secure promotion was the luckless injury to Peter Coghlan ahead of the 110 metre hurdles. One of the favourites for an individual win, Coghlan pulled a hamstring while warming up and so struggled home in seventh place in 14.70 seconds - miles off his best of 13.30.

That deprived the Irish of at least five points, and in the end they missed out by just 3½ points - scoring 114½ behind Belarus (127) and Estoinia (118).

Tomorrow evening at the Donore Harriers clubhouse, next to the Phoenix Park, the first of the 2002 Adidas Dublin marathon seminars takes place.

Former London winner Catherina McKiernan and former Dublin winner Jerry Kiernan are among the guest speakers, with a training run departing at 7 p.m. and the seminar starting at 8 p.m.

A range of training issues will be covered, and admittance is free.