O'Sullivan still going great guns

ATHLETICS: It still says it all about Sonia O'Sullivan that she attends a press launch in Dublin and her first thoughts are about getting away for a training run. She's 36 now, and while long assured of iconic status in Irish sport there are people who wonder what keeps her going, writes Ian O'Riordan

A lot of things, it seems. Back home from Australia for a few days, O'Sullivan runs in Saturday's Edinburgh International cross country, looks likely to return to the London marathon in April, and already has one eye on the European Championships in Gothenburg next August. And then there's still the possibility of representing Australia in the Commonwealth Games in two months.

"I feel very, very positive about the next few months," she says. "I've been really enjoying the training, and I have actually been doing quite a lot. I definitely still have the appetite, and it's just worked out well for me in the last few months."

O'Sullivan was at the RDS to help launch the Kids in Action programme, which through sponsors SuperValu aims to provide €1 million worth of sports equipment for primary schools. Even before the formalities began, she was talking about getting away for a few laps around Belfield.

"I think I'm ready to jump into a race now," she added. "Well, I'd better be. There's a good field in Edinburgh. But I've had a couple of trips up to altitude in Australia now with Craig (Mottram) and Benita (Johnson), and that worked out very well. They're both highly motivated coming up to the Commonwealth Games, so that's been great.

"And I've been doing a quality session once a week for a while now. Once the two kids went back to school in Australia it all just fell into place. It was easier for me to do the training once they got into their routine, because I was able to get into my routine.

"But the main thing I'm looking at right now is another marathon around April time. I'm not 100 per cent sure exactly where that will be just yet, but at this stage I'm already well ahead of where I was this time last year. I mean, I wasn't even running this time last year. So as long as everything keeps moving forward then I should be well prepared for it."

Yet she describes 2006 as a "deciding year". If things don't work out over the next 12 months, then it's likely she finally call time on her great career. But she still has ambitions, and especially in the marathon. O'Sullivan went to London last April and ran a respectable 2:29.01, finishing eighth and an improvement on her two previous efforts. Unfortunately she couldn't build on that for the rest of the year, primarily because of a foot injury that persisted throughout the summer.

"It just didn't work out for me after London. I think it was more about me trying to jump into races straight afterwards. I should have just stepped back and enjoyed it a little more. Considering I had some problems with blisters in London I think I could have run 2:27, yeah. I was definitely on schedule for that. But I have been doing a lot of work now trying to avoid that happening in the future.

"Once I got back down to Australia in October I was able to get into the training straight away. London probably is the one I'd want to do again. Nic (Bideau, her partner and agent) has to talk to a few more people, because there are quite a few marathons on around then.

"And you've got to make it worthwhile if you're going to put in the effort.

"The European championships are something else I'd definitely like to do, but it's just too early to say right now. I'll do the marathon first and see how I go with that. I think that will be the deciding thing. If it goes better than last year, which I hope it will, then I'll start thinking about what I want to do after that."

The other thing occupying her thoughts are the Commonwealth Games, which take place in Melbourne from March 15th-26th. She still has plans to represent Australia if all the paperwork can be completed in time, but reiterated her feelings: it has nothing to do with giving up her Irish allegiance, it's all about taking part.

"There's still nothing set in stone or decided yet, but it's still a possibility. The main hurdle is getting the Australian citizenship, which I haven't got at the moment. That's been worked on the whole time even while I'm back here, so I should have news on that very soon.

"But according to the rules, which I have looked at a few times now, there shouldn't be any problem once I have the citizenship. The Commonwealth Games is like a third-level event. Even though it's governed by the IAAF, they don't follow the IAAF rules for eligibility or transfer of allegiance or anything like that. So it's not an official transfer, it's more like a representation. It's like me representing Australia in an Ekiden relay or something like that. It's not like a proper championship.

"So far the Australian federation have been fully supportive, and very keen. I'll run the trials next month regardless, probably the 5,000 metres, and once I fulfil the criteria I still have to be picked. But the way I see it, if it happens it happens. I'm not that pushed about it. If it was anywhere else in the world I definitely wouldn't care."