Set-back on road to Munich

ATHLETICS: Just a fortnight before the European Championships in Munich, Sonia O'Sullivan's confidence took a minor tumble at the weekend, and not just because of her third place finish over 5,000 metres in the Heusden International meeting outside Brussels on Saturday.

Part of O'Sullivan's problem in Heusden was the skin-soaking conditions, with heavy rain falling throughout the race. Yet her time of 15 minutes 18.07 seconds fell a good way short of the sub-14.50-range she was searching for, even accounting for the drenching track surface.

Clearly, though, it was not a night for fast running, with victory going to Asmae Leghzaoui in an average 14.51.71, a few strides ahead of Japan's Koyoko Fukushi. With O'Sullivan out of contention from the opening laps, the race took on diminishing importance as it progressed, keeping her effort for another day.

Just 24 hours previously, however, conditions were ideal at the Monaco Golden League meeting and Britain's Paula Radcliffe certainly made use of them over 3,000 metres. Taking on all the running, she led up until the final 200 metres, when Gabriela Szabo injected her trademark sprint to win in 8.21.42.

That was also the fastest time in history by a European athlete - and fastest ever by a non-Chinese athlete - eclipsing O'Sullivan's previous record of 8.21.64 set in Crystal Palace in 1994. Radcliffe at least had the consolation of setting a British and Commonwealth record of 8.22.20 in second place.

Szabo and Radcliffe now head to Munich in the form of their lives - and both happen to be O'Sullivan's two main rivals in her effort to defend her European 5,000-10,000 tiles. Szabo will concentrate on the shorter race, and Radcliffe, who was making her first competitive effort since the London marathon in April, is looking towards the longer race.

Mark Carroll's European hopes ended prematurely when he failed to appear for the Heusden meeting. Having reportedly missed his flight, that was Carroll's last chance to secure the 5,000 metres qualifying time. He will now return to his US base rather than attempt to better the bronze medal he won over the distance in Budapest four years ago.

Two other Irish athletes, Una English and Maria McCambridge, also failed to register the necessary 5,000 metres mark for Munich (15.30). English came closest when clocking 15.34.25 in sixth, with McCambridge just behind in seventh (15.39.01).

James Nolan also looks set to skip Munich as he continues to struggle with his form over 1,500 metres. The UCD athlete could only manage 14th place in 3.42.55, some seven seconds outside his best, and finished well behind Kenya's Laban Rotich (3.37.65).

Meanwhile, two-time world cross country champion Mohammed Mourit, born in Morocco but now representing Belgium, has tested positive for EPO after a test at the World Half-Marathon championships in Brussels in May. Currently the European record holder over 3,000, 5,000 and 10,000 metres, it now appears that Mourit is destined to spend two years in suspension.