ROBERT HEFFERNAN entered a new realm at the European Championships last year when he followed up his fourth place in the 20k walk with fourth in the 50k walk, putting himself amongst the medal favourites for next year’s Olympic Games in the process.

MEDALS are not awarded for effort in the tough world of race walking but if they were then Gillian O’Sullivan would surely have strode away with gold after yesterday’s World Cup event in Naumburg.

GILLIAN O’SULLIVAN has predicted that tomorrow’s world cup race will answer a lot of questions as the build up to the Olympic Games in Athens enters a new phase.

Double world record holder Gillian O’Sullivan leads the Athletics Ireland 20 kilometres team in the European Cup of Race Walking in Russia on May 19.