O'Sullivan looks for home truths

Athletics Cork City Sports: Normally, Sonia O'Sullivan runs at the Cork City Sports as a sort of homecoming celebration, yet this afternoon at the Mardyke, she faces a more serious test of form.

Four nights ago she finished a puzzling ninth over 3,000 metres at the Lausanne Grand Prix, and despite it being her first track race of the season, she is clearly eager for a much better performance.

Her poor run in Lausanne was in part put down to her recent return from altitude training, which can require several days of recovery and readjustment.

So there is hope that this afternoon's run over 1,500 metres should see O'Sullivan return to something like her best form.

The organisers of the sports, which are now in their 52nd year, have ensured O'Sullivan won't have it all her own way. Included in the 16-strong field is the South African Rene Kalmer, who finished ahead of her on Tuesday night, as well as other respected athletes like Fatiha Baouf of Belgium and the Czech Andrea Suldesova.

Additional Irish interest is provided by Kerry athlete Freda Davoren, who is now based in Cork, and who at her best wouldn't be far off O'Sullivan.

One of the targets of the race will be the meeting record of four minutes 6.59 seconds set last year by Geraldine Hendricken.

Among the other 19 events to be contested over the three-hour programme (starting at 2.0) are two high-quality 400-metre races.

Unfortunately, the unavailability of Paul McKee has deprived the men's race of the interesting rematch with Britain's Jamie Baulch (with whom he shared the bronze medal at the World Indoor championships last March).

The women's race will provide excellent competition for the two top Irish athletes, Karen Shinkins and Joanne Cuddihy, with the presence of British number one Katharine Merry.

Shinkins, in particular, is looking for a decent run after some poor results in recent weeks.

There are also hopes of Irish victories in the men's 800 metres (James Nolan), the women's 3,000 metres (Una English) and almost certainly in the special staging of a mixed one-mile walk, which includes world-record holder Gillian O'Sullivan.