Olive Loughnane looks set to be awarded the gold medal for the 20km race walk from the 2009 World Championships in Berlin after Russia’s Olga Kaniskina was yesterday banned by the Russian Anti-doping Agency for an anti-doping rule violation.

Olive Loughnane looks set to be upgraded to women's 20k walk world champion after the Russian Anti-doping Agency annulled the results of 2009 World Champion Olga Kaniskina.

A miserable opening day for Ireland at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow saw the three in action on the track miss out of qualifying for their respective semi-finals, while Irish interest in the women’s marathon ended after eight kilometres.

Mark English and Paul Robinson both bowed out of the 800m in the first round heats on the opening morning of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Moscow.

Irish race-walking legend Olive Loughnane has announced her retirement from international

Former world championship silver medallist Olive Loughnane has retired from athletics.

A legend of Irish race walking took her final Olympic steps on a cool Saturday evening in London.

Olive Loughnane and Laura Reynolds have continued the good news for Irish athletes in the walking events today.

Colin Griffin has boosted the Irish track and field team for the Olympic Games to 18 after sailing past the Olympic A standard to qualify for the 50k race walking at London 2012.

Colin Griffin achieved the 50k standard for the Olympic Games at the IAAF World Cup of Race Walking in Saransk, Russia over the weekend.

ROBERT HEFFERNAN got his preparations for London 2012 back on track at the IAAF Racewalking Challenge Final in La Coruna on Saturday, breaking his own national record for the 10k walk when finishing sixth behind the world and Olympic champion, Valeriy Borchin, in 39:19.

IRELAND’S hopes of a medal at the world championships in Daegu suffered a major blow yesterday when Olive Loughnane failed to replicate her silver medal performance in Berlin two years ago in the women’s 20k walk.

Ireland’s Olive Loughnane, the silver medallist in Berlin, had to settle for 16th this time in one hour 34.02 seconds in the women’s 20 kilometres walk at the World Championships in Daegu today.

WORLD SILVER medallist, Olive Loughnane, faces her first big assignment of the year when she lines up for the European Cup Race Walking in Olhão on the Algarve on Saturday.

HOPE turned to despair for Olive Loughnane in Barcelona yesterday when a stomach bug forced her to pull out of the women’s 20k walk after 5,000m and dashed her hopes of adding a European medal to the silver she won at the world championships in Berlin last year.

Olive Loughnane was in philosophical mood as she reflected on her disappointing exit from this morning's 20km walk at the European Athletics Championships in Barcelona.

World race-walking silver medallist, Olive Loughnane was crowned The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council ‘Sportswoman of the Year 2009’ today for her performance at the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin earlier this year.

Cork’s World Championship star, Olive Loughnane has been named The Irish Times/Irish Sports Council ‘Sportswoman of the Month Award’ for August today for her superb performance in the twenty-kilometre walk at the Berlin event last month.

Following her superb silver medal-winning performance in yesterday's 20km walk at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin, Olive Loughnane is already looking to add to her medal haul.

President Mary McAleese has sent her congratulations to Olive Loughnane after the Loughrea woman's silver-medal performance at the World Championships in Berlin.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE delivered on the promise shown at last year’s Olympic Games when she won the silver medal in the women’s 20k walk at the world championships in Berlin yesterday.

Olive Loughnane has provided Irish athletics with a massive shot in the arm by winning a silver medal in the 20 kilometre walk at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

OLIVE LOUGHNANE will be among the elite medal prospects when she lines up at the Brandenburg Gate for the start of the women’s 20k road race at the world championships tomorrow.

SINCE she finished 12th at the 20k walk world championships is Paris in 2003, life has changed dramatically for Olive Loughnane.