Loughnane qualifies for Olympics

OLIVE LOUGHNANE has become the second Irish athlete to achieve the Olympic qualifying standard for Beijing after finishing second in the 20k race at Portugal’s race walking championships in Serriera do Aljento in 92min 25sec at the weekend.

There are a number of designated courses at which qualifying standards for the world championships and Olympic Games can be achieved and this course, situated half way between Lisbon and Faro, is one of them.

While there is ample time remaining for qualification she opted for the Portuguese championships and, while the conditions were unseasonably warm, she turned in a superb performance behind Susanna Feitor, bronze medallist the world championships in Helsinki two years ago.

“I had done the standard in the Phoenix Park late last year and I walked even faster this time around.”

After the Athens Olympics she took time out to have a baby and, after the birth of her daughter, Eimer, at the end of May she was quickly back into her stride.

“It was all very controlled,” she said. “And I am still building up. I go training before Martin (her husband) goes to work and I train again when he comes home.”

She returned to work herself at the Central Statistics Office in Cork four weeks ago, so she is very successful with the balancing act that is family life. She returns to Portugal in six weeks time for the Race Walking Grand Prix Race.

Robert Heffernan, who also walked inside the standard late last year, failed by just two seconds to achieve the A standard for the men’s 20k walk in Ibiza when he finished third in 83min 03sec.

The Corkman should now get the standard at the Grand Prix race in Beijing in three weeks time and, after that, he will travel to Morocco for some altitude training.