Happy Heffernan puts down a marker for Beijing

ROBERT HEFFERNAN achieved another major milestone on Saturday when he knocked almost a minute off his national record.

The Cork athlete finished 9th in the 20k at the 23rd IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary, Russia, in 79 mins 22 seconds to become the first Irishman to break the 80 minute barrier.

And it was also a remarkable weekend too for Olive Loughnane, who dipped under 90 minutes for the first time with a sensational 1:29:17 for sixth place in a highly competitive women’s 20k — a performance that reinforces her Olympic dream.

It was a stunning performance from Heffernan, whose preparation for the race suffered a double setback when he picked up a hamstring injury during a preparatory race in Spain and was then diagnosed with a haemoglobin problem.

“ I did not want to go to the meeting at all,” he admitted yesterday. “Then my coach, Robert Korzeniowski, insisted I go and use the event as part of my training. Obviously I am delighted I went.”

He was reflecting on his best career performance to date — he finished sixth in the world championships in Osaka last year and sixth again in the opening Grand Prix of the year in Mexico — that saw him share the lead at one stage and then dominate the chasing group for much of the race when his training partner, Francisco Jazvier Fermandez, and Russian walker, Valeriy Borchin had split the field.

After faltering at the World Championships in Osaka last year, Fernandez went on to reclaim the 20km crown he won in La Coruna, Spain, two years ago, six seconds ahead of the Russian in a new championship best time of 1:18:15.

Eder Sanchez of Mexico was third in a new personal best time of 1:18:34.

Heffernan will look at Saturday’s effort with mixed feelings as he reflects on how he had beaten four of those ahead of him in previous outings.

“I am delighted with my performance which even amazed myself considering the problems I had before I went to the training camp in Poland,” he said. “But I am going to look at that result sheet and feel I should have been fourth because there are walkers in front of me I could have and maybe should have beaten.

“I had beaten those before and while it is disappointing I did not do it this time I know in my heart that — come the Olympics — I will beat them again. I have now put down a marker for Beijing and I am very happy with that.”

He admitted the fact he was racing before a crowd of more than 50,000 helped raise his performance.

“It was a brilliant experience — totally different to when I race in the smaller ones — on another day — I could have been right up there with them.”

Irish team manager, Ray Flynn, himself a former race-walker, said: “This race is more competitive than the Olympics or the world championships by virtue of the fact that it is a team competition, more people from each country can take part.

“Rob was very controlled all the way through the race. I have never seen a guy cross the line so fresh. He could have done it all again. He was just unbelievable.”

Jamie Costin, who has qualified for the Olympics at 50k, dropped back to the shorter distance as part of his preparations for that engagement and finished 59th in 1:25:59.

Colin Griffin, who has also qualified at 50k, kept his Olympic preparations on track when he finished 25th in the 50k race in 3:58:26.

The Russians got more than the desired result in this event when Denjis Nizhegorodov set a world record at 3:34:14 to lead home a 1-2 for the home crowd. The old mark was held by Australian Nahan Deakes at 3:35:47.

Olga Kianiskina (Russia), the world champion, was just one second outside the world record when she won the women’s 20k in 1:25:42 from another Russian, Tatyana Sibileva, 1:26:29, with Vera Santos (Portugal) third, 1:28:17.

Ireland’s Olive Loughnane finished sixth in 1:29:17, claiming the scalp of the teak tough Aussie Jane Saville, who finished seventh in 1:29:27, amongst others.

The fact that Loughnane had used up eight of her nine lives on the DQ board did not help as she had to walk with extreme care in those torrid closing stages but she was thrilled with her performance and the fact that she rewrote her own PB to dip under 90:00 for the first time with 1:29:17.

“I am delighted with both my time and my placing,” she said afterwards.

“The fact that I was on two from 15k meant that I could not afford to push as hard as I would have liked over the last 5 kilometres. The temperature was officially 22 degrees but I reckon it was a lot hotter.”