IRISH SPORTING HERO Sonia O’Sullivan has agreed to take up a coaching role in the US ahead of the Tokyo Olympics.
This week, the Cork native will leave her current home in Melbourne and head to Portland, Oregon, for an initial three months, the Irish Times reports.
51-year-old O’Sullivan — a former world champion, European champion and Olympic silver medallist — will work as assistant coach to Pete Julian with a Nike training group featuring some of the world’s top distance runners.
“It’s a way for me to travel again in an Olympic year, even though it’s very nice here in Melbourne with no Covid restrictions, it feels very far from the action,” O’Sullivan told the Irish Times.
“Every year I’ve had events in Ireland that I work with and the main athletics championships to look forward to, this past year has been so unpredictable my normal schedule has been put on hold.”
On Instagram, she also posted: “Looking forward to new adventures and challenges Stateside.”
American Julian was previously involved in the Nike Oregon Project before it was dissolved in 2019 after an investigation into doping offences led to a four-year ban for head coach Alberto Salazar.
Julian was not implicated in any way and has said in the past that he does not regret one minute of his seven years at the Nike Oregon Project.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
