LASSE VIREN’S long-striding style was a familiar feature of seventies distance running. Brendan Mooney met the flying Finn in Helsinki as the city prepares to host the World Athletics Championships.

JAMES NOLAN, silver-medallist in Ghent five years ago, has hit form at precisely the right time in advance of next weekend’s European indoor championships in Madrid.

PAUL BRIZZEL walked away from the Stade de France with a broad smile last night after he had posted his A standard for next year’s Olympics.

KAREN SHINKINS, whose season turned around in recent weeks, took another major step back to form yesterday when she made it through to this evening’s semi-finals of the women’s 400.

IT may be his first major assignment, but Cathal Lombard is approaching tomorrow’s 10,000m final at the world championships in Paris with a level of professionalism that has left nothing to chance.

GARETH TURNBULL may not have to run first round heats tomorrow in the men’s 1,500m, as entries for the event at the world championships in Paris have hit a new low.

ROBERT HEFFERNAN has made more sacrifices than anyone else in pursuit of athletic excellence and this evening the 24-year-old Togher man hopes to reap the rewards for all his effort when he lines up for the 20k walk final at the Olympic Stadium in Munich.