Heffernan and Griffin target qualifying times
Robert Heffernan is off to China for the IAAF Grand Prix challenge race in Shenzen where he will line up in a star-studded field that includes the Olympic champion, Ivano Brugnetti.
On the day David Gillick won the European indoor 400m title in Birmingham, the Cork walker went to within two seconds of the A standard for the world championships and the Olympics in a 20k road race in Spain.
It was also the weekend Olive Loughnane posted her world championship and Olympic games standard at the Portuguese championships.
In the 5k race at the indoor championships in Belfast Heffernan turned in his third best performance ever with 19:11.58 behind the world record holder, Francisco Fernandez at 18:24.13.
Colin Griffin will be making his debut at 50k in pursuit of his qualification standard in Dudince, Slovakia.
The 24-year-old Ballinamore walker shaved four minutes off his personal best for 30k in the Isle of Man.
He had just returned from altitude training in South Africa when he returned a career best time of 19:36 for 5k — a full eight seconds inside his previous best.
Gillian O’Sullivan had planned to compete in Dudince in pursuit of her qualifying standard but she has had to put that on hold on account of a niggling injury.
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