Sonia O'Sullivan

At the 1998 world championships in Marrakech, O'Sullivan won both the short and long races on consecutive days, beating the East African teams on a warm, dusty course that suited them more than an Irish track runner. Doubling up in cross-country means recovering from one flat-out race and reading another within 24 hours, and her tactical sharpness made it look straightforward. That summer she won the European 5,000m and 10,000m titles as well.