ATHLETICS : O'Sullivan by a mile

Marcus O'Sullivan of Ireland ran the world's fastest indoor mile of the year at the Mobil Invitational meeting in Fairfax, Virginia yesterday.

O'Sullivan clocked 3min 56.48sec to record his fifth win in six races and said: "I felt a little sluggish, but all in all it was pretty good."

At the same meeting Maria Mutola, of Mozambique, ran the fastest indoor 800m of the year, running 1:59.41. It was her 33rd successive victory at the distance since August 1992.