`Something went wrong ... she's so much better than this, we just can't take it in'

"WHO could have predicted that this race would end in such a fashion? Something went wrong with her

"WHO could have predicted that this race would end in such a fashion? Something went wrong with her. She's so much better than this, we just can't take it in."

Mr Frank O'Shea, a director of the Cobh's famous Commodore Hotel, summed up the mood in the numbed aftermath of the inaugural 5,000 metres women's championships at the Olympic Games last night in Atlanta.

Sonia O'Sullivan's collapse in the race was greeted with shock and disbelief in her native town of Cobh.

Throughout yesterday, thousands of people gathered in the scenic and historic seaside town to be a part of what was to have been a bumper celebration of Sonia's primacy as Ireland's leading woman athlete.

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The town was en fete. Extra gardai had been drafted in, and there was music and dancing in the streets. In the harbour, boats with water cannon sent preface celebratory jets of water high into the evening sky. On the streets, bands played, Irish dancers danced, cars hooted and everybody discussed how fast her winning time would be.

By 11 p.m., the celebrations were reminiscent of Thurles on a Munster final day except in this case, the result was a foregone conclusion. In the town's main square, a massive television screen beamed Atlanta directly to Cobh to up date the huge crowd.

Even though every pub in Cobb was in festive mood prior to the race, with music and good cheer in abundance, the gardai were not in a mind to turn a blind eye to a bit of "after hours" and in the hostelries, the happy punters prior to the race were cleared bang on closing time.

But that did not spoil the party. They gathered in the main street and in the square to watch Sonia on the big screen proving to the world and to Cobh that she was the best. Young children had been allowed up to watch what should have been an historic occasion.

All that remained was the expected delivery of Sonia's gold medal which after the heroic exploits of Michelle Smith would have brought Ireland's tally four.

The live music was silenced as news came through of a row over Sonia's gear, which reportedly had upset her. People wondered if the wrangle over the gear would put her off her stride but the consensus was she was just too good for that.

In the Commodore Hotel, some 600 people crammed into the Jack Doyle room named after another Cobh celebrity and the hotelier, Mr Pat O'Shea, said that the atmosphere in the town and the hotel was something very special.

"There are as many people in Cobh tonight as if Sonia were here herself for the homecoming," he said, adding that the Olympic Games had brought a huge increase in business because of the Irish success story.

There were scenes of unbridled joy in the town square as the heroine of Irish athletics once again prepared to show just how good she was. The pride was palpable as the party went on into the small hours before the race, with everybody expecting Sonia to out class all her opponents.

Then the race began and it became apparent very quickly that Sonia, who has accomplished so "much for Irish athletics, was not going to do it.

In the streets people gasped in amazement. No one could believe that a supreme athlete who had put down her markers with regard to the Atlanta championships was being beaten out of sight.

The word "devastating" was much used. There were tears from men and women, particularly from her home town.

Her failure was something that had not been written into the script. Nobody felt that disappointment in such a fashion would be on the cards.