Heffernan ready for high life as Mexico test awaits

ROBERT HEFFERNAN faces his first big test of Olympic year when he lines up for the first leg of the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Chihuahua, northern Mexico, on Saturday.

Last season could hardly have gone any better for the Cork athlete who posted his Olympic qualifying standard exactly a year ago in China and went on to walk under the time in every outing subsequently, culminating in sixth place at the world championships in Osaka.

And he could hardly have asked for a better start to 2008 than a new national record for 5k at the Woodies DIY Irish Indoor championships in Belfast.