Senior women
Sonia O’Sullivan ran a perfect tactical trace to claim her first world title since her 1995 5,000m victory in Gothenburg.

O’Sullivan overtook Britain’s Paula Radcliffe, who was the silver medallist in Turin last year, 500 metres from the line to win Ireland’s first women’s world cross country title.
Noami Mugo made the early pace and went through the first kilometre in 3:10 before Radcliffe took up the running.
The 1992 world junior cross country champion took a huge group of more than 20 women through the two kilometre point in 6:26. Mugo, better known as a 1,500 runner despite her pedigree of world cross bronze medal two years ago, helped increase the pace from cautious first two kilometres and went through three kilometres in 8:10 but from there it was Radcliffe who took on the bulk of the world.
The halfway point was reached by Radcliffe in 13:05 with the leading group now down to twelve. O’Sullivan, Radcliffe and Spain’s Julia Vaquero lead the European challenge with the entire Kenyan team and three Ethiopians representing the rest of the world.
British runner continues to turn the screw during the remainder of the race. Ten runners went through the five kilometre mark in 16:24 but the main protagonists were down to six as the final lap beckoned, Rdacliffe having gone through six kilometres in 19:34.
Radcliffe went through seven kilometres in 22:45 with O’Sullivan, Vaquero, Kenya’s Jackline Maranga and the Ethiopian pair of Gete Wami and Merima Denboba.
"My plan was to cruise at the front, it’s the safest place to be, and then wind it up on the last lap," said Radcliffe later.
As the pace increased Vaquero and the Africans started to lose touch but O’Sullivan, her stamina increased by training at altitude earlier this year for the first time, could not be shaken off and her acceleration could not be answered by Radcliffe.
O’Sullivan completed the eight kilometre course in 25:39 with Radcliffe three seconds further back.
"You did all the work," O’Sullivan said to a disappointed and drained Radcliffe after the finishing line, acknowledging the British girl’s role in events.
Wami, the 1996 champion, won the battle for the bronze in 25:49. Her team-mate Denboba finished out of the medals in fourth place in 25:56 but finishing in the cruellest position will be mitigated by the fact that she gathered enough points to win the 12-race IAAF World Cross Challenge and take the $25,000 first prize.
Despite not getting among the indiviual medals, Kenyan managed to finish all six of its runner in first twelve to take the team contest ahead of its bitter rival Ethiopia. Britian took the bronze medals to get on the senior women's podium for the first time since 1988

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