Sport

O'Sullivan well beaten in Paris

SONIA O'SULLIVAN, the reigning world 5,000 metres champion, had to settle for a very disappointing fourth place in the 3,000 …

Thu Jun 26 1997 - 01:00

SONIA O'SULLIVAN, the reigning world 5,000 metres champion, had to settle for a very disappointing fourth place in the 3,000 metres in the Meeting Gaz de France grand prix meeting in Paris last night.

The 27-year-old Cobh runner in her first serious outing over the distance this year, was never on the same pace as the leaders as she finished in eight minutes 53.53 seconds.

O'Sullivan was left struggling nearly the length of the straight behind Romania's Gabriela Szabo, and finished in fourth place. The tiny Transylavanian put the bite on a strong field to win in eight minutes 40.44 seconds with O'Sullivan 13 seconds behind.

"I have no explanation to what has happened," said O'Sullivan after losing out to one of her likely chief rivals at this summer's world championships. "If I did I wouldn't have finished where I did. I am very disappointed."

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It was also an extremely disappointing night for double Olympic champion Michael Johnson, who lost his first 400 metre race since 1989. He could only finish fifth behind new American champion Antonio Pettigrew.

Johnson, who was running his first race since returning from straining a quadricep muscle in his 150-metre duel with Donovan Bailey started like a bullet, passing Ugandan Davis Kamoga within 20 metres. but faded badly in the final 15 metres to finish in 45.76 seconds.

Johnson, the 200 and 400 metres Olympic champion, had not lost in 66 consecutive 400 metres races before last night.

Johnson is set to be offered a wildcard entry into the world championships after being forced out of the US trials by his injury. All defending champions will be given automatic entry into Athens by the IAAF.

However Linford Christie's decision to miss the British trials in Birmingham next month to race in Germany means he has ruled himself out of the reckoning for Athens.

Donovan Bailey again underlined his claim to be the world's fastest man at last night's meet. The Canadian Olympic 100 metres champion raced to an easy victory in 10.07 seconds over two of the three Americans he will have to face when he defends his world title in Athens.

There was no happy homecoming for France's double Olympic champion Marie-Jose Perec as American Inger Miller coasted to victory in the 200 metres to equal the best time in the world this year with 22.48 seconds.