Absorbing final has fitting end for Szabo

Even Sonia O'Sullivan was moved to grudging admiration as she watched her most prized possession, the world 5,000 metres championship, pass to her great rival, Romanian Gabriela Szabo in the Olympic Stadium.

A seat in the impressive amphitheatre - again filled, courtesy of the organisers' decision to make 25,000 tickets available, free of charge, to locals - was as close as the champion got to the action after her elimination in the semi-finals.

It was the scenario she had secretly dreaded before arriving in Greece; and yet, if there was a consolation, it surely was in the manner in which her successor was determined.

This was a drama of classic quality as the race built to an absorbing finish over the last three laps.

At different times, Fernanda Ribeiro of Portugal, Kenyan Lydia Charomei and Paula Ratcliffe, the Briton, showed in the lead and all three were still nurturing hopes of success as the sound of the bell induced one last, supreme effort.

Inevitably, perhaps, it was Szabo who responded first. Hers, unquestionably, was the superior finishing speed and yet, she dared not gamble on being surprised in a big-kicking finish by the Italian, Roberta Brunet.

Ratcliffe, running with the bravery which is her trademark, lost her chance after being impeded by Charomei 300 metres out and then the Kenyan herself, suddenly capitulated. Ribeiro, heavier now than when she won the Olympic 10,000 metres, betrayed an uncharacteristic lack of sharpness, leaving Szabo and Brunet to contest the two main places.

Brunet, content to let others do the hard work throughout, was still pursuing that policy in the hope of outpacing Szabo off the last curve but that, at best, was a forlorn hope. The tiny Romanian kicked again between the top two bends and this time, she was uncatchable.

Just as she had outsprinted O'Sullivan to win the world 3000 metres indoor title in Paris earlier this year, she confirmed her reputation as one of the best championship competitors around, winning in 14 minutes 57.8 seconds, little more than half a second faster than Brunet with Ribero, the silver medallist at 10,000 metres earlier in the week, finishing third.

"The injuries I've had in the last year cost me two gold medals here," said Ribeiro. "Szabo is always very hard to beat but I still think I would have beaten her with a better preparation."

All in all, it wasn't a good day for the Portuguese, for in the torrid, early morning sunshine, Ribeiro's team-mate, Manuela Machedo discovered that even Olympic gold in Atlanta, was no guarantee of success here.

After leading at the half-way mark of the marathon in one hour 15 minutes 42 seconds, Machedo couldn't keep her rhythm in the second half of the race and was eventually, a minute and 24 seconds adrift as the Japanese woman, Hiromi Suzuki finished alone in 2:29.48.

Compared to the conditions which obtained for yesterday's men's race, it was hot and oppressively humid on Saturday morning but it scarcely effected either Suzuki or her Japanese teammate, Takako Tobise who just missed out on a medal in fourth place.

The bronze medal went to the Romanian, Lidia Simon who was running at Machedo's shoulder at half way but then, like the Olympic champion, began to suffer as the pressure grew and temperatures soared at a corresponding rate.

Ireland, competing in the 4 x 100 relay for the first time, finished sixth in the heat won by Britain but there was a measure of compensation when the quartet of Tom Comyns, Gary Ryan, Kevin Cogley and Neil Ryan was credited with a national record of 39.46 seconds.

Among the more notable losers was Maria Mutola of Mozambique whose blend of pace and raw power, made her invincible for so long over 800 metres. But time has now taken the edge off that pace and it showed when, after making all the running in the early stages, she was passed 50 metres out by Ana Quirot and then caught on the line by the Russian, Yelena Afanasyeva for the silver medal.