Sophie O'Sullivan

Sophie O'Sullivan (born 2001) is an Irish athlete. She won a silver medal in the 800 metres at the 2018 European Athletics U18 Championships in Győr, Hungary. O'Sullivan won 1500 metres gold at the 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships in Espoo, Finland. She represented the University of Washington in NCCA track and field competitions between 2021 and 2024, before graduating in journalism and public interest in June, 2024.

Life
Sophie is the daughter of Irish World champion and Olympic Silver medallist Sonia O'Sullivan, and Nic Bideau.

2023
At the University of Washington Preview Meet on 14 January at the Dempsey Arena in Seattle, O'Sullivan achieved personal bests over the mile (4.36.67, for 6th in her section, and sixth fastest time overall) and the 800 metres (2.05.87, for 1st in her section and 5th overall). She also ran a leg of the 4 X 400 metres relay, where UW finished 4th of 15 teams in 3.56.4. At the University of Washington Invitational Meet on 28 January she ran 3000 m in 9.03.91, to finish second behind Emily Venters of Utah. O'Sullivan's time was 6th fastest in UW history. She also ran the anchor leg in the 4 by 400 relay, where her team finished 2nd in 3.45.21, behind San Diego State.

On 3 February, as part of the University of Washington distance medley relay team, alongside Marlena Preigh, Carley Thomas, and Anna Gibson, she helped the Huskies to victory in the 2023 Bruce Lehane and Scarlet White Women's 4000 m distance medley relay at Boston University Track and Tennis Center, with a 1200 m time of 3.16.24. UW's time of 10:46.62 was a new NCCA record. At the same meet, she finished 8th in the mile race in 4.39.35. At the Huskey Classic in the Dempsey Arena on 11 February O'Sullivan took the lead in the top heat of the women's mile with 200-meters to go and held on to win, lowering her mile PR to 4:33.24, and tying for the No. 5 time in school history. Shortly afterwards, she finished 19th fastest over 800 metres in 2.08.94.

At the Stanford Invitational in Pao Alto, California, on 1 April, O'Sullivan finished 2nd overall in the 1500 metres in 4.17.46. She followed this up on 22 April, again in Pao Alto, CA, as she ran 1500 metres in a 4 X 1500 metres relay in which Washington placed third in 17.15.64. At the Penn Relays on 29 April she helped UW to two top-three finishes, splitting 4:18 as the 4x1500m relay took third, and splitting 2:07 to help the 4x800m relay place second.

On 28 May at the NCCA Preliminaries in Sacramento, CA, O'Sullivan won her 1500 heat in a new PB of 4.08.06 to qualify for the NCCA finals in Austin, Texas on 7-10 June. Her time was the fastest over the distance in University of Washington history, eighth on the Irish all-time list, and 11th on the NCCA all-time list. On 8 June O'Sullivan was fastest qualifier in the 1500 m heats at the NCCA finals in Austin, Texas, running 4:09.58. She was unable to maintain this form in the final on 10 June, finishing 12th in 4.22.81. The race was won by Harvard's Maia Ramsden in 4.08.60.

At the Irish national under 23 Championships in Tullamore, Co. Offaly on 2 July, O'Sullivan scored a double, striking gold at both 800 m (2.10.04) and 1500 m (4.27.02). On 22 June 2023, she won the Division 3 1500m in 4.27.96 to help Ireland win promotion at the European Athletics Team Championships Third Division in Kraków.

On 16 July, O'Sullivan won the 1500 m at the European Under 23 Championships in Espoo, Finland. Her winning time was a new personal best of 4.07.18. She finished ahead of Ireland's Sarah Healy (4:07.36) and Britain’s Shannon Flockhart (4:08.37). In the Women's Senior 1500 m at the Irish National Track and Field Championships on 30 July, she (running in the colours of Ballymore-Cobh) was runner up in a time of 4.12.00, behind Sarah Healy (University College Dublin).

On 4 August, O'Sullivan ran 2.37.08 for the 1000 m, the fastest time in US collegiate history, an Irish under-23 record, and the third fastest time by an Irish woman (behind Sonia O'Sullivan and Ciara Mageen), at the CITIUS Meeting, a World Continental Challenge event, at Stadion Wankdorf in Bern, Switzerland. She finished fourth in a race won by Abbie Caldwell of Australia in 2.34.63.

On 19 August, O'Sullivan competed in the heats of the Women's 1500 m at the 2023 World Athletics Championships. She improved her personal best to 4.02.15, finishing 8th in her heat, and just missing out on qualification for the next round. Her time of 4.02.15 is quicker than the qualifying standard for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris. O'Sullivan's time was fifth fastest by an Irish woman, with national record holder Ciara Mageen (3.55.87) ranked first.

On 5 September, at the Palio Citta' Della Quercia in Rovereto, Italy, O'Sullivan finished second in the 3000 m in 8.44.72, behind Wubrist Aschal (Ethiopia). O'Sullivan's time broke the Irish under 23 record, and was the third fastest ever by an Irish woman, behind Mary Cullen (8:43.74i) and Sonia O'Sullivan (8:21.64). On 8 September 2023, O'Sullivan achieved a personal best of 2.01.43 over 800 m at the Volksbank Trier Flutlichtmeeting in Moselstadion, Trier in Germany, finishing second behind Vivian Chetbet Kiprotich of Kenya. This time was 12th fastest on the Irish all-time rankings, behind national record holder Ciara Mageen (1.59.27) in first.

On 27 October, running on her home course at Chambers Creek Regional Park in University Place, Washington in the 2023 PAC 12 cross-country championship, O'Sullivan finished in sixth position over a 6k course, and led the Washington Huskies to the team title. Her time was 19.33.80.

On 18 November, O'Sullivan competed in the NCCA Division 1 Cross Country National championships at Panorama Farms near Charlottesville, Virginia. She finished in 56th position in 20.16 over a 6K course, and helped the Washington Huskies to finish in 8th position in the team race. Sophie went through 1000 meters in 21st position (2.27), 2000 m in 26th (6.20), 3000 m in 39th (9.50), 4000 m in 60th (13.19), and 5000 m in 65th (17.02), before rallying to 56th over the last kilometer. The winner was Parker Valby of Florida in 18.55, with 2022 champion Katelyn Tuohy of North Carolina State in 5th in 19.23. NC State won the team race.

 2024 

On 28 January, O'Sullivan opened her indoor season with a third place finish in the mile at the University of Washington/Mile City event at the Dempsey Arena in Seattle. Her time was 4:35.63, two second outside her personal best. On February 24th, she finished sixth in the mile at the University of Washington's Ken Shanahan Last Chance meet in 4.38.98.

On May 10th, O'Sullivan opened her outdoor season by winning her heat over 1500 metres at the Pac 12 Track and Field Championships at Potts Field in Boulder, Colorado. She ran a time of 4.21.33. In the 1500 metres final on May 12th, O'Sullivan finished seventh in 4.22.72, behind Washington team mate Chloe Forester, whose winning time was 4.16.33. O'Sullivan also ran the 5,000 metres, finishing in 18th position, in 17:30.40.

At the NCCA West Regionals at John McDonnell Field, Fayetteville, Arkansas on May 23, O'Sullivan placed second in heat 4 in the first round of the 1500 metres in a time of 4.20.35, thereby qualifying for the quarter finals. On May 25 at the same meet, O'Sullivan finished second in heat one of the quarter finals in 4.09.61  behind Juliet Cherubet of Texas Tech (4.09.04) to qualify for the NCCA finals at Eugene, Oregeon on June 5-8.

In the NCCA semifinals in Eugene, Oregon on June 6th, O'Sullivan finished in fourth position in heat 1 of the 1500 metres, qualifying automatically for the her second consecutive outdoor final in a season best of 4.08.04, the eight fastest time among 12 qualifiers. In the final on June 8th, O'Sullivan finished in 12th position, in a time of 4.13.39. The race was won by Harvard's Maia Ramsden in 4.06.62.

On June 16, at the Folksam GP Sollentuna in Sweden, Sophie finished 10th in the 1500 metres in 4.22.93.

On June 29, at Morton Stadium, Santry, Dublin, O'Sullivan won her heat at the National Senior Championships over 1500 m in 4.26.21  O'Sullivan won her first national senior title in the final on June 30, running the same distance in 4.20.25, ahead of Carla Sweeney (4.21.13) and Madison Mooney (4.21.70).

On July 9, at the Cork City Sports at the Munster Technological College in Bishopstown, Sophie ran a time of 9.08.66 to finish 12th in the 3000 metres. On July 12th, she ran a season's best of 4.05.77 over 1500 metres when she finished second behind Shannon Flockhart (4.04.98) at the Morton Games, at the Morton Stadium in  Dublin. On July 14, Sophie ran a PB of 2.00.08 to finish fifth in the 800 metres at the Meeting Sport e Solidarietà Lignano at the Stadio G. Teghil, Lignano Sabbiadoro in Italy, behind Italy's Eloisa Coiro who won the race in 1.59.26. O'Sullivan's time moved her to 4th on the Irish all time list.