Sonia O'Sullivan spoke yesterday of her journey from the deep depression of Atlanta to a climate of some expectancy in Athens and proclaimed "I've never been more ready". O'Sullivan, out of competition since her eclipse at Sheffield in June and out of reach of the media for much of the last month, re-emerged from her London retreat to confront the sceptics on the eve of the sixth world championships.
"Atlanta is something that happened; there is nothing I can do now to change it. Athens is a whole new experience, a whole new championship and I approach it as such.
"People ask me if success here can make up for the Olympics. My answer is that if you lose something precious, can something else replace it? Probably not.
"It has been a difficult year but I've still as much self-belief now as I had before Atlanta. I'm no different than I was before the Olympics. When I get on that start line, I still want to win."
Among the Irish, O'Sullivan's place of pre-eminence in athletics, is probably as secure as ever. But the scene in the inter-Continental hotel in Athens yesterday morning, portrayed a different story among the international press.
Reebok wheeled out all their big name stars to beat the drum and O'Sullivan, as one of their highest profile athletes for the last three years, was naturally included.
But while members of the Irish press corps and a few interested onlookers chose to stay with the woman from Cork, the ears and the eyes of the wider world were for Ato Boldon seated at the next table.
A double bronze medallist from Atlanta, Boldon heads both the 100 and 200 metres ranking lists this season. And in a business reaching out for the quotable quote, his attraction for the media is unquestioned. Now, he wasn't about to miss out on the opportunity of claiming more column inches.
O'Sullivan for her part, was talking a good race - and was quick to play down the handicap, real or imagined, of not having run competitively, for the last six weeks.
"I could have five or six races this week, depending on whether there will be two qualifying rounds for the 5,000 metres final, and I believe that is enough to be going on with," she said.
"I feel more energised than for a long time and it's years since I've looked forward so much to actually running a race. I've never travelled so little or rested so much as I have this summer. Now I feel rather like a person who's been cooped up and about to go on holiday.
"My form in training has been as good if not better than in either 1994 or `95. A lot of the sessions have changed, of course, but those that haven't, are possibly now going even better for me."
Given that she had made a conscious decision to lift the weight of media attention from her shoulders and go into semi-seclusion last month, it was scarcely surprising that at times, she looked a little uneasy in the early stages of yesterday's interview.
Gradually, however, the old self-confidence returned and before long, the tones of quiet authority, a hallmark of so many of her meetings with the press in the past, were again in evidence.
She insisted, she hadn't suffered a physical injury in the Sheffield race which forced her to rethink her policy. It was more a matter of finding space for herself, of resting up for four or five days, before re-applying herself to the job of preparing for a major championship.
"Now I feel very relaxed. The media's attention has been shifted from me and I think it's fair to say that the public don't have the same sense of expectancy about me. But it hasn't diminished my will to win. Once I go to the line, I am still as committed as ever to succeed."
Asked to prioritise on her chances in the 1,500 and 5,000 metres events, she said: "I probably feel more confident about the 5,000. As regards the 1,500, I may need the race but that is not the same as saying that I'm going along just for the trip. I most certainly am not.
"Obviously, Kelly Holmes and Svetlana Masterkova are the people to beat at the shorter distance. The 5,000 is more open but Gabriele Szabo and a few others, will ensure that it is still very competitive."
With the likelihood of one of the two qualifying rounds of the 5,000 metres championship being scrapped, O'Sullivan will have almost 48 hours to recover from the 1,500 metres final if she makes it through this morning's heats and tomorrow's semi-finals. Given that she has never felt more pent-up energy, that programme should not prove unduly punitive but obviously, much depends on the manner in which she starts the championship.
After spending the last five years in the public eye, she is now, belatedly, perhaps, aware of the remedial effects of a period, however short, when she can be alone with her hopes and her fears.
This last month has been a start in that direction and for once, she has taken positive steps to ensure that the self pressure which weighed so heavily on her in the past, is kept to manageable proportions.
"I honestly believe that I'm now ready to go out there and race and with that feeling, goes an attitude that nothing is going to stop me.
"But win or lose, I'm not going to worry too much about it. I'm still going to be the same person next week. You'll still be asking questions and I'll still be around trying to make sense of them."
But will she still be rejoicing in the appellation of a reigning world champion when she takes her leave of Athens? In this part of the world, at least, there are not too many people, prepared to make a firm judgment on that!
