Heffernan refuses to let ‘twinge’ spoil Cork return

ROBERT HEFFERNAN is determined to reclaim his title and the national record at Cork City Sports on Saturday when the mixed walk, which will also feature world silver medallist Olive Loughnane, will be one of the star attractions.

The race also marks the return of former Olympic and three-time World Championship silver medallist Francisco ‘Paco’ Javier Fernandez, who has served a reduced one-year ban after he was linked with a drugs scandal, although never accused of doping.

The field will also include Jakub Jelonek (Poland) who was four places behind Robert Heffernan in the 20k walk at last year’s EuropeanChampionships.

Yesterday, Heffernan, who finished fourth in both the 20k and 50k walks at last year’s European Championships in Barcelona, was undergoing intensive physiotherapy on a hamstring twinge that caused him to pull out of Sunday’s Grand Prix at the Phoenix Park after just six kilometres.

“My ‘good’ hamstring came at me during a training session last week but it was nothing major,” he said. “I did hard session last Saturday and it has not been right since. However, I don’t think it’s anything major.

“Next week is the start of the build up to the World Championships and, ultimately, the Olympic Games.”

There was further good news for meet director Dick Hodgins over the weekend with confirmation that one of the big favourites among City Sports fans, Paul Hession, will again compete against world class opposition over both 100m and 200m.

He will renew rivalry with Brendan Christian (Antigua & Barbado) who won the American Trophy two years ago and dead-heated with the Athenry man in a thrilling 200m last year.

“Paul Hession is looking forward to meet,” Hodgins said. “He has always held the Cork City Sports in high regard and he confirmed this again this year by declining an invitation to go elsewhere so that he can compete before the Cork fans.

“Brendan Christian is also in and they will be joined in the 100m by Rondel Sorrillo from Trinidad and Tobago, European junior silver medallist Luke Fagan from Great Britain and Australia’s Mata Lukas.

“In the 200, Hession’s main event, he will again face those guys and Michael Mathieu, who won the Bahamas championship yesterday.

He said he will run both events in Cork with the 400m as his main event.

“Also in the 400m we have a guy from Trinidad, Renny Quow, who was fourth in the last World Championships. The race also sees the return of David McCarthy, a big favourite at Cork City Sports where he was a former winner of the 400m before moving up to 800m.”