Sat 09 Sep 2007Beijing could be added to O'Sullivan's 'last lap'
tourATHLETICS:It would be exaggerating a little to
describe Sonia O'Sullivan and Paula Radcliffe as the greatest of
rivals, and yet somehow their running careers became inexorably
intertwined. Given their four-year age difference they probably
never clashed at the peak of their careers, and in reality
O'Sullivan was much more of a track specialist, while Radcliffe
lapped up the country and roads.There were several so-called showdowns, probably starting with
the European 10,000 metres in Budapest in 1998. O'Sullivan was
running the distance for the first time, and won brilliantly, while
Radcliffe, having made some of the early pace, ended up fifth.