Sonia O'Sullivan

by Jennifer and Karen with a report from Kerrie

fact file

DATE OF BIRTH: 20th November 1969

PLACE OF BIRTH: Cobh in Cork

HEIGHT: 175cm

WEIGHT: 121 pounds

PERSONAL COACH: Alan Storey

OCCUPATION: Athlete

EVENTS: Women’s 5000m

                 Women’s 1500m

                 Women’s 10,000m

European 5,000 and 10,000m winner 1998

World Cup 5,000m winner 1990

Winner 5,000m World Championships 1995

World Record holder 2,000m 1994

Irish record holder at every distance between 800m and 10,000m

 

  Sonia and The Road to Sydney

For Sonia O Sullivan the road to Sydney has been long and hard and started out with cow paths.  She began running as a kid in Cobh and the love of it stuck with her from an early age.  She dodged colds to keep running.  She splashed her way through muddy fields and kept running.  She was always good.

  Sonia's Olympic Experience

Sonia O Sullivan won a silver medal in the 5000 metres and finished sixth in an Irish record time in the women’s 10,000 metres. 

Sonia O Sullivan was very happy with her Olympic experience even though she missed out on a medal in the 10,000 metres final in Sydney.  “I will have nothing but happy memories of my time here, I’m going off now to celebrate with a box of Cadburys, hopefully a big box” Sonia, said. 

We wrote newspaper reports after Sonia won silver in Sydney.

by Aileen

Sparkling Silver

  by Jennifer

Tension built today as Sonia O Sullivan prepared for the five thousand-metre race.  She started off slowly building up speed as she did each lap.  Though she fell behind a bit she stayed in the race and won a silver medal.  She wore an all in one suit. After the race she carried an Irish flag with honour.  "It's a dream come true, I think I lost my confidence a bit.  The girl who won had a lot of confidence and deserved to win" Sonia gasped.  The runners who go in for these races are so fast and energetic.  This young girl from Cork has done Ireland proud.  Well done Sonia

SILVER  SUCCESS  FOR  SONIA     

                                           BY  EMMA  SMITH  

WE’RE HERE IN SYDNEY WITH A NEWS  REPORT.   HERE WE ARE SPEAKING TO THE  FIRST  IRISH  FEMALE TO  WIN A SILVER  MEDAL. SONIA 0' SULLIVAN  WON  SECOND IN THE FIVE THOUSAND  METRES. THIS  CONFIDENT  WOMAN  RACED TWELVE AND  A  HALF  LAPS AND  SONIA  WOULD  LIKE  TO SAY  A  FEW  WORDS “I'D   JUST  LIKE  TO  SAY "I'M   REALLY SHOCKED TO HAVE COME  SECOND IT'S NEARLY  A  DREAM  COME  TRUE AND I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY SZABO IS VERY CONFIDENT. I DON’T KNOW WHETHER TO LAUGH OR CRY.   I'M JUST HAPPY TO HAVE COME SECOND”.

SONIA WON A SILVER MEDAL

by Karen O'K

Hi, I'm Sonia  and I just  won  a  silver  medal.   I didn't  really  think I  was  going  to get  there.   I was really  nervous  I  just  thought  if  they're  going  fast  go  a  bit  slow  and  then  when  they  slow  down  I can  go  fast  .   I fell  behind  for  a  while  then  I  caught up.  I was fifth then sixth  then  I was  fifth  and all of a  sudden I  was  fourth. Then I caught  up even more.  I was second.  I can make it but I was against a really great runner, Szabo,  and I was running a 5000 metre race in the Olympics. I had one more lap to go. I ran as fast as I could go. But I came second. I was the first Irish girl to win an Olympic medal.   

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