Sonia O'Sullivan, who yesterday outpaced Gabriela Szabo to win the Balmoral Road Race, is yet to decide what distance she will run at this summer's European Championships in Munich. The Irish star completed a unique double in the 1998 championships, winning both the 5,000m and 10,000m golds.
And while Paula Radcliffe last week announced she would be running the 5,000m at the Commonwealth Games and the 10,000m in Munich, O'Sullivan believes she has plenty of time to pinpoint her ideal distance.
"It's too early to say what I will run at the Europeans this time," said O'Sullivan, after her Tesco Italiano five-mile success around the Balmoral Estate, where post-race celebrations adopted a sombre tone following the death of the Queen Mother who loved the historic Royal Deeside venue.
O'Sullivan feels her preparations for the summer season are going to plan after giving birth to her second daughter, Sophie, at Christmas. "I'm just a lot more relaxed about it this time. Two years ago I was trying to prove I was superwoman. This time I'm not pushing so hard."
That did not appear to be the case yesterday, however, as O'Sullivan, who was beaten into second place by Szabo at the Sydney Olympics, fought blustery conditions to complete a splendid win. "I guess I'm a tough old mother," quipped O'Sullivan after breaking up the field between the first and second miles.
Filed by Sinéad Kissane
