Sonia O'Sullivan will compete in the Cork mini-marathon next Sunday after completing her track programme for the season by winning the 5,000 metres for Europe in the World Cup championship at Johannesburg on Saturday.

O'Sullivan, captaining the European team for the first time, led by example when accelerating out of the last bend to record a coveted win over America's Regina Jacobs and Ethiopia's Eirhane Abere in 16 mins 24.52 secs and collect a prize of £37,000 in the process.

It was, by some way, her slowest 5,000 metres run since moving up to the distance but as in the European championships in Budapest, her will to win superseded everything.

"It was another of those tactical, mind games and after a couple of 82 second laps early in the race, time became irrelevant until the bell," she said. "Then I put my foot down and with so much left, I covered the last 400 metres in 61 secs.

"Winning was everything for it means that I can now start off my track programme in 1999, knowing that I don't have to convince anybody that I am a serious contender for the next World Championships in Seville."

With the early pace so slow, the field of eight stayed together until three laps from the finish when the Ethiopian made the first break. O'Sullivan and Jacobs followed and the order remained unchanged until Jacobs decided to kick for home at the bell.

Then, for the first time, the leaders were moving at full stretch but the American almost certainly suspected the worst when, in spite of the extra pace, she failed to shake off the Irish woman down the back straight.

During the world championships in Athens last year, the pair had been involved in a sharp exchange of words and there was more controversy here as their arms became entangled going into the final bend.

On this occasion, O'Sullivan was the stronger and with her stride unbroken, she kept her momentum to widen the gap over the American in the sprint to the line.

"No, there were no recriminations this time," she said. "What happened in Athens is water under the bridge, the two of us are a lot more friendly. "That's it for the time being. The pressure is off for I've achieved nearly all the goals I set myself back at the start of the year."

O'Sullivan went back to the track yesterday in the hope of collecting the women's trophy for Europe but unfortunately it proved a fruitless journey.

The Europeans, handicapped by poor baton changing, could finish only seventh in the 4x100 metres relay, allowing America to take the trophy in the last event on the three-day programme.

It was third time unlucky for Marion Jones of the US at the World Cup yesterday when she had to settle for second place behind Heike Dreschler of Germany in the long jump.

The 22-year-old Jones, unbeaten in 38 events both outdoor and indoor since September last year, had already set personal bests in winning the 100 metres and 200 metres here.

The long jump was seen as her strongest event. Drechsler, however, 11 years Jones' senior, set the pace by leaping 7.07 with her first jump.

Jones, looking uncomfortable in the bitterly cold and rainy conditions, responded with two nojumps in her first three attempts. She did put in one jump of 7.00 metres which was a long way short of her own best, 7.31 metres.

That, though, was to remain her best effort while Drechsler completed her set with another leap of 7.07.

"Hats off to Heike," said Jones. "It's been a long season and I think my body was feeling it but it is still good to come away with two personal bests. Today the conditions were a problem but I cannot blame them. After all it didn't go cold only when I jumped."

The US team captain Carlette Guidry said after her team's victory: "It's my first trip to Africa and I must say that it is an honour for me to collect a cup with Nelson Mandela's name on it. He has done so much for South Africa and the world that it truly is an honour. I am only sorry that I didn't get to see him here," said Guidry.

Africa's men made sure of winning their third successive World Cup by beating Europe by a single point. It all rested on the final event the 4x400 metres relay which saw the Africans fade badly in the closing stages to finish fourth but Europe's anchor runner Pawel Januszewski, needing fifth to give his team the decisive points, was pipped on the line by Nils Schumann of Germany and the Asian runner Masayoshi Kan.

Frankie Fredericks had set the tone for the Africans with a powerful run in the 200 metres which saw him clock 19.97, the second fastest time in the world this year. Fredericks, who said that there was still room for negotiation over his participation in the Commonwealth Games, was spurred on by another small but vocal crowd.