Sonia O'Sullivan

Sonia O'Sullivan (born 28 November 1969) in Cobh, County Cork. She began her running career in Ballymore Running Club which is located in the eastern side of Cobh Town. She was one of the world's leading female 5000 m runners for most of the 1990s and early first decade of the 21st century. Her crowning achievement was a gold medal in the 5000 m at the 1995 World Athletics Championships. She won silver medals in the 5000 m at the 2000 Olympic Games and in the 1500 m at the 1993 World Championships. She has also won three European Championship gold medals and two World Cross-Country Championship gold medals.

On 14 February 2007, the multi-medallist said she planned to hang up her spikes after the Great Ireland Run on 15 April, having said the previous year that she intended to run competitively until the 2012 Olympic Games in London. O'Sullivan later dismissed the rumours that she is retiring after the BUPA Great Ireland Run, adding that she would be retiring at the end of the 2007 season.

Early years

Sonia O'Sullivan's first major international competition was the 1990 European Championships at Split, where she finished 11th in the 3000 m. However, O'Sullivan improved quickly after that, and on 26 January the following year, at Boston, she set a new world indoor record in the 5000 m of 15:17.28, taking more than 5 seconds off the old record. At the time, O'Sullivan (who attained a...
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