Sonia O'Sullivan has qualified comfortably for Saturday's 5,000 metres final at the World Championships in Paris after finishing second in her heat at the Stade de France this evening.
Running in the slower of the two heats, O'Sullivan knew a top five finish was imperative to guarantee a spot in the final and the former world champion clocked a season's best time of 14 minutes 55.50 secs to claim one of the automatic berths.
Only the top five finishers from both heats plus the five fastest losers qualified.
O'Sullivan also appeared to dispel any question marks hanging over her form with a competent run while her speed down the home straight remains intact.
The Cork athlete was content to bide her time in the pack for much of the race before making her move down the back straight, overhauling five rivals to come home second behind Turkey's Elvan Abeylegesse.
Olympic champion Gabriela Szabo was pipped at the line for fifth place in the same heat but progresses as one of the fastest losers. There was no such good fortune for defending champion Olga Yegorova who tamely relinquished her world crown.
Afterwards, Sonia O'Sullivan said she will have to break her own Irish record to win amedal in Paris on Saturday - but believes she is in the right shape to do just that.
"That was a good race because it had a bit of everything," said 33-year-oldO'Sullivan. "I was a bit nervous before the race, but now I feel really good.
"I am glad to have got it out of the way and now I have to go away and thinkabout the final because I imagine it will be a faster race than I have ever runbefore.
"I am going to have to go out there and run as hard as I can. I need to be inthere for when it becomes a race because that is my strength, when it becomes arace.
"It is never easy to run faster than you ever have before, but I've beentrying to do that for a few years now and it will be a big challenge, but I'llbe going after it and I'll be there Saturday."
Heat one
1.Edith Masai (Kenya) 14 minutes 45.35 seconds Q
2.Tirunesh Dibaba (Ethiopia) 14:45.96 Q
3.Yingjie Sun (China) 14:46.73 Q
4.Marta Dominguez (Spain) 14:48.33 Q
5.Zahra Ouaziz (Morocco) 14:52.66 Q
6.Gulnara Samitova (Russia) 14:58.88 q
7.Emilie Mondor (Canada) 14:59.68 q
8.Jane Wanjiku (Kenya) 15:04.00
9.Meseret Defar (Ethiopia) 15:11.72
10.Olga Yegorova (Russia) 15:12.41
11.Kayoko Fukushi (Japan) 15:16.53
12.Souad Ait Salem (Algeria) 15:34.64
13.Catherine Chikwakwa (Malawi) 15:40.10
14.Simret Sultan (Eritrea) 16:09.48
15.Ines Melchor (Peru) 17:17.90 .
Heat two
1.Elvan Abeylegesse (Turkey) 14:54.95 Q
2.
Sonia O'Sullivan(Ireland) 14:55.50 Q
3.Berhane Adere (Ethiopia) 14:56.01 Q
4.Isabella Ochichi (Kenya) 14:56.63 Q
5.Yelena Zadorozhnaya (Russia) 14:56.70 Q
6.Gabriela Szabo (Romania) 14:56.70 q
7.Zhor El Kamch (Morocco) 15:00.61 q
8.Courtney Babcock (Canada) 15:01.48 q
9.Irina Mikitenko (Germany) 15:06.97
10.Restituta Joseph (Tanzania) 15:10.54
11.Lauren Fleshman (U.S.) 15:12.71
12.Huina Xing (China) 15:13.50
13.Hrisostomma Iakovou (Greece) 15:44.90
14.Susanne Pumper (Austria) 15:53.52
15.Docus Inzikuru (Uganda) 16:00.99
16.Lilian Claber Argereta (Honduras) 20:17.90