Sonia O'Sullivan's problems continued to multiply at the Weltklasse meeting in Zurich last night when she finished seventh in the 1,500 metres race won by the Olympic champion Svetlana Masterkova of Russia in a time of 3 mins 59.84 secs.

O'Sullivan, running at the back of the field throughout, made a brief surge going down the back straight for the last time but then receded almost as quickly to lose all contact with the leading group.

It was scarcely a run, timed at 4:02.63, to reassure on this her last appearance before next week's European Championships at Budapest where she is scheduled to compete in both the 5,000m and 10,000m.

Up front, however, it was a different story as Masterkova confirmed her return to form with a precisely judged run to relegate Gabriela Szabo and Carla Sacramenta to the minor placings.

There was mixed luck for Susan Smith in the 400 metres hurdles in which she finished a distant seventh to the world record holder Kim Batten of America. Smith, drawn on the inside lane, could could only watch and admire as Batten rediscover her old power to win going away in 52.74 secs. The consolation for Smith was that she broke her own Irish record in returning a time off 54.31 secs, 0.3 secs inside her old figures.

Jonathan Edwards reasserted his triple jump superiority to send out an ominous warning to his rivals for the European Championship crown. Edwards bounced back to winning ways in his last competition before he bids for gold in Budapest next week with a fine leap of 17.75 metres.

Interest centred on those still in contention for the Golden League bonus. Just four athletes are now left following Nigerian Charity Opara's defeat in the 400m at the hands of Germany's Grit Breuer. American sprint star Marion Jones kept in the hunt for the bonus with victory in the 100m, along with compatriot Bryan Bronson, who continues to blow away his 400m hurdles rivals in the same manner as Hollywood namesake Charles.

Morocco's Hicham El Guerrouj is also still in bonus contention after his triumph in the 1,500m in a time of 3:26.45, which was just under half a second outside the world record he established in Rome in June.

Haile Gebrselassie is also eyeing the jackpot. The Ethiopian romped to victory in the 5,000m, but never seriously threatened his world record on a hot and humid evening in Switzerland.

Christian Malcolm, Britain's recently-crowned double world junior champion, was unable to make it into the 100m final on his grand prix debut after finishing sixth in his heat.