Just like old times. In Helsinki yesterday evening, Sonia O'Sullivan reappeared on the European Grand Prix circuit after a two-year absence and, as smooth as she's ever been, produced the perfect 3,000-metres victory.

For all intents and purposes it was the ideal start to the long season ahead. Her time of eight minutes 45.85 seconds, although nothing exceptional, came off a solidly run race where O'Sullivan did everything right. And her finishing speed over the last 200 metres sent out the biggest message of all: she's back to her best.

Once again the opposition had no answer to O'Sullivan's pace coming into the home stretch. Both Russia's Tatjana Tomashova and the Kenyan Naomi Mugo, who had done much of the early running, could only chase in vain as O'Sullivan pulled away with ease to win by some five metres.

It was scene so reminiscent of the past, including O'Sullivan's last appearance at this Olympic Stadium when she won the European title at the same distance.

"The speed is still there, and I'm really happy with that," she said afterwards. "It's always difficult to know when to go when you haven't raced for a while, and whether you've gone too soon or not. But it's definitely a good start."

The Russian chased O'Sullivan to the line and finished in eight minutes 46.18 seconds, with Mugo holding on for third in eight minutes 47.81 seconds. The cool Nordic evening and notable wind probably prevented a quicker time.

"It definitely wasn't a night to be running fast," added O'Sullivan, "and that breeze was probably the difference between running 8:40 and 8:45. I could have put my head down and gone for it but it would have been too much effort.

"Actually I was talking to my coach today and he just said relax, and that a time around 8:45 was fine, and don't rush for anything more than that. But I was never uncomfortable at all. I suppose if it was up to me I would have gone out there and belted it as hard as I could."

Strategically, O'Sullivan ran without a hitch although there was a momentary scare when the group bundled approaching the bell lap, causing a few to stumble: "I nearly went down alright. I didn't want to get boxed in so I went to follow the leaders and then I just got caught in somebody. But lucky enough I stayed up. It gives you a bit of a jolt though."

Before that, however, her positioning was ideal. The Russian pacemaker Olga Komjagina had the field strung out after the first lap, passed in 69 seconds, with O'Sullivan soon tucked in third. Once she left the proceedings after four laps, O'Sullivan stayed in second place behind Mugo with the more feared Kenyan, Leah Malot, failing to make the expected challenge.

The bell was hit in seven minutes 42 seconds and O'Sullivan stayed calmly on the shoulder of Mugo with just over 200 metres to go. Tomashova also finished strongly but was never going to catch the winner.

"It was a good finish because it was the first time I had to run that fast in a while. And you have to keep going because you never think that someone is not going to come back at you. But I haven't done anything faster than 65-seconds quarters in training up to now so there is definitely more to come."

Before the race, O'Sullivan admitted a certain amount of apprehension. "Well of course I had to be nervous. I haven't been on a starting line like that for a long time and you don't know what to do with yourself. I wasn't that thankful either to be in lane one."

"Once we got going it felt very easy and when you're running behind someone it's easier to keep up. I always felt full of energy and I probably ran harder in the mini marathon on Sunday."

The crowd of just under 20,000 certainly appreciated O'Sullivan's efforts but they didn't exactly get what they wanted in the men's 100 metres. American Maurice Greene usually runs the distance like a jog down the driveway to collect the morning post but here he was comprehensively outrun by his fellow countryman, Brian Lewis.

The winning time of 10.06 seconds was well outside Greene's world record of 9.79 seconds but on this occasion the best he could muster was 10.08 seconds.

No such dent to the reputation of Wilson Kipketer in the men's 800 metres. The three-times world champion of Denmark, who runs like silk on legs, produced another of the evening's highlights with a one-man one minute 44.27 seconds. He, like O'Sullivan, has yet to win an Olympic medal. And it's hard to see anyone preventing him.