Echo Women in Sport award: Sophie O'Sullivan delivered a golden display

UNLEASING a kick so reminiscent of her mother Sonia’s glory days on the world stage, Sophie O’Sullivan’s brilliant victory at the European U23 championships over the 1500m distance in Finland sees her winning The Echo Women in Sport award for July.

It may be hard to get the head around the fact that Sonia and Nic Bideau’s youngest daughter is now 21. 

Born in December 2001, a year and three months after her mother brought the country to a standstill with that never-to-be-forgotten Olympic silver medal at Sydney, her own star is now most certainly on the ascendancy.

That performance in Finland was the first-ever win by an Irish athlete at this level and to achieve it in a personal best time of 4:07.18 made it all the more sweeter. 

Her Irish team-mate, Sarah Healy, came into the race as one of the top-ranked women in Europe and she led for nearly the full distance, as O'Sullivan held back in third or fourth.

As the pace picked up on the final lap, O'Sullivan made her move around Healy on the turn into the homestretch to give Ireland a fabulous one-two medal double. 

SPECIAL

She revealed the winning advice her legendary mum gave her before the race: "She said just stay as close as you can as long as you can and pay attention on the third lap.

“The win meant a lot to me, it was really special,” explained O’Sullivan. 

“I didn’t actually know until afterwards that it was the first Irish win at that level so it was great to have two medals for Sarah and myself.” 

This year has been one of major progress over the 1500m distance for the Ballymore-Cobh athlete who holds dual Irish and Australian citizenship. 

Currently on an athletics scholarship at the University of Washington in Seattle, back in February an indoor mile time of 4:39.35 set the scene of what was to come and there was little doubt that her 1500m best of 4:17.54 was in for major revision.

She would go on to better that on five occasions and is now ranked seventh on the Irish all-time list, joining her mother as one of 14 Irish women who have run under 4:10 for 1500m. 

Just two have broken the four-minute barrier - Sonia's best of 3:58.85 came in 1995 and was only bettered by Ciara Mageean which she ran 3:56.63 in Brussels last year.

“My improvement this year is probably down to a bit of consistency, before I wouldn’t be able to make it more than a few weeks before getting sick or some little niggle or interruption. 

"I’ve been able to stay healthy and just keep building on my races as I go along,” explained O’Sullivan.

While older sister Ciara chose not to go down the athletics route, Sophie’s decision to do so wasn’t hugely influenced by her mother’s achievements. 

“I grew up mostly in Australia so probably not. I suppose you could say if one of your parents were a good doctor you wouldn’t spend heaps of time watching them do surgery, so in the same sense I wouldn’t have been that aware of her races.

I’ve always enjoyed to run and used to do a variety of sports. In Australia, I did all events, including the high jump and sprints. 

"The set-up was such that you would do all the different events in a day, including the shot put which I wasn’t so good at but I gave it a bit of a go anyway. 

"I suppose it then turned out I was better at the longer running than anything else.” 

After winning Australian U17 track titles at 800m and 1,500m, O’Sullivan would go on to finish second at the European U18 800m in 2018. 

After graduating from Wesley College High School, she then took up her scholarship at the University of Washington – known as ‘The Huskies’.

“I went there on a visit and wasn’t too sure I was going to go on scholarship but when I saw the set-up and the coaches and everything I really loved it and thought it was a good opportunity to be able to study and run and not have to worry about expenses and things.

“Maurica Powell is my coach and she is always very supportive. Brian Fay [new Irish 5000m record holder] came a year after me, so it’s good to have him there. 

"There’s quite a nice mix of different countries, including Australians and British, so it’s not all Americans and that helps a lot.” 

After their exploits in Finland, O’Sullivan and Healy then went head-to-head again at the 123.ie National Championships at Santry. 

Billed as the race of the meet, it certainly didn’t disappoint. But on this occasion it was Healy who produced a final finishing surge to claim her third outdoor 1500m title in a time of 4:11.39 with O’Sullivan recording 4:12.00 to all but secure her place at the upcoming World Championships in Budapest.

“Sarah is a great competitor and she ran a great race there but I gave it all I had, although it wasn’t enough this time,” said a gracious O’Sullivan. 

“That’s all right, there will be more national championships to come and I’m sure I’ll have more great races in the future.” 

 And no doubt may more accolades to follow on from her well deserved The Echo Women in Sport award for the month of July.