SONIA O'SULLIVAN will resume her European tour in Paris on Wednesday, reassured by the knowledge that when the pressure is on, she can still pull out a big finish.

The proof was forthcoming on her home territory at the Mardyke on Saturday when America's Regina Jacobs asked some pertinent questions of the world 5,000 metres champion in a hard, driving finish to the 2,000 metres event.

And the response was positive as O'Sullivan dug deep in a tremendous duel down the finishing straight to achieve her first win in three outings in a time of five minutes 38.91 seconds.

It was some 13 seconds outside the world record she set in Edinburgh two years ago, but on an evening when the wind billowed around the Mardyke and the opposition sensed the opportunity for heroics, it was good enough to repel any doubts.

"Winning felt good and I think the crowd enjoyed it as much as I did," she said. "Before the race, I was trying to relax and treat it as just another run, but I was also acutely aware of the expectations of people.

"I just had to succeed for their sakes, as much as mine, and they were fantastic in their support

No matter how it looked, I thought I was always in control over the last 100 metres and with a race on Wednesday, the object was to expend only as much energy as it took to win.

"I was so excited at the start that I probably went out too strong. But in some respects, that was another indication of how much I wanted to win on the day."

There are those who would say that after surging, in a manner reminiscent of the old days, with 200 metres to go, O'Sullivan should never have had to work so hard to preserve her advantage in the race to the line. But that would be unfair to Jacobs.

Jacobs went into the race off the back of a fourth consecutive win in the American 1,500 metres championship, whereas O'Sullivan is still re-emerging from the biggest crisis of her career. Moreover, she is still attempting to succeed at the shorter distances, off a training schedule which is geared to 5,000 metres competition. Given those circumstances, she could, indeed, feel content with her day's work after the verve of a uncommonly fast opening had subsided into a more realistic pace in the conditions.

O'Sullivan led through the first 1,000 metres in two minutes 51 seconds, followed immediately by the American, with Valerie Vaughan some way back in third place. That remained the order until the bell when Jacobs, gambling on a protracted run minimising her rival's superior finishing speed, showed in front.

In retrospect, that was an expensive error of judgment for it afforded the Irishwoman the chance of delivering her challenge at the time of her choosing. And if she didn't go through with the run, as decisively as in other times, it was still a prized success.

"The most important thing, was the win and the knowledge that I am gradually getting sharper as the world championships get closer," she said. "This may not have been the biggest race on the calendar, but it's told me that I'm going in the right direction."

Elsewhere, Marcus O'Sullivan's hopes of marking his farewell Mardyke appearance with a win in the 1,500 metres were lost to another good finish, this time won by Britain's Brian McKay.

After tracking the leaders from the bell, O'Sullivan arrived in the textbook position when he got to the shoulder of the leader, Luke Morogo of Kenya, straightening out off the last curve.

In another era, the Corkman would assuredly have gone on to success, but this time he couldn't respond as McKay kicked on past the tiring Kenyan to win in three minutes 39.58 seconds.

Immediately behind O'Sullivan, in third place, was Mark Carroll. After his fine run in Nuremberg, that was an encouraging sign as his challenge for the world 5,000 metres championship in Athens approaches.

Elsewhere, there was much to admire in the manner in which Susan Smith fought through the wind to take the women's 400 metres hurdles event from Vikki Jameson and England's Vyvyan Rhodes in a time of 55.96 seconds.

This was the fourth occasion this year that the Waterford woman has gone under 56 seconds but in the prevailing weather, it, was easily the most meritorious.

Gary Ryan, second to Daniel Money in the 100 metres, delivered his expected 200 metres win in 20.69 seconds and Mark Mandy competed well without equalling the 2.15 metres clearance by Australia's Tim Forsythe in the high jump.

Katherine Merry of Birchfield Harriers was one of the visiting athletes to find inspiration in the Mardyke's unique setting and after outrunning another English athlete, Sarah Oxley, to take the women's 100 metres, she came back on to track to repeat that success at 200 metres.