O'Sullivan totally composed

A FIT and bronzed Sonia O'Sullivan set down in Dublin yesterday from her globetrotting activities just long enough to outline her plans for the upcoming track season one which she and the whole of Ireland hopes will see her crowned as Olympic champion.

Indeed just how fit the world champion is can be gauged from her victory in a 10km road race in Melbourne, her base for the last three months, last Sunday. Her time of 31 minutes 56 seconds is one of the fastest ever recorded by an Irish woman and is some 16 seconds faster than she returned in the same race last year.

In Dublin for a reception hosted by Bank of Ireland credit card services, she said that she now felt stronger, fitter and faster than in the corresponding period a year ago. This is all the more remarkable given that she missed the whole of December with injury.

London for the next few days for some easy training is an intermediate stop on her schedule before setting out for the United States for another training stint.

Oregan's Steve Prefontaine Classic on May 26th is the planned opening to her season over 3000 metres. "I had intended going to the pre-Olympic meet in Atlanta but the Americans want only a 1500 metres and that is not on at that time for me." But the 1500m is certainly part of her season's plans. "I will run both 1500 and 5000 metres in Atlanta," she confirmed.

The Grand Prix season in Europe will form the main part of her preparatory racing in the run-up to the Olympics. "At the moment my racing plans are not finalised as there has to be a certain flexibility about them. "I intend to run only one 5000 metres before Atlanta but 3000 and 500 metres will be distances I will concentrate on. London will be the final race before going to the US to acclimatise. Indeed with four major races in the period leading up to London on July 12th, including the Bislett Games in Oslo, O'Sullivan said that she would participate in three of those.

The expected humidity of Atlanta will hold no fears for her - "It will be the same for everyone and the fittest will win and Villanova, where I know the area, will be the ideal base for me to acclimatise before going to Atlanta.

"The Olympics are only part of the whole summer season and are the same as any other race. I intend to treat them as such. The same athletes will be there as elsewhere, so why treat them as different," she said as if to deflect the pressure which she is bound to feel in the build-up.

Despite the question of the Chinese being on the `banned' list, O'Sullivan intimated that they do form part of her thinking. But the only useful thing is the result of their trials and I have to be ready for them.

"Injury is my only real worry as it plays havoc with preparations and you get into a catch-up situation and start rushing things. I will have to be careful not to push too hard and that is one of the reasons I am going to Florida next week. That may even mean not going in races or doing sessions that I had planned."

Her many Irish fans will, however, get a chance to see her in action in the National Championships in Santry on June 15th-16th and again in Cork City Sports a week later.