Jones upbeat about Ireland's Olympics chances

Ireland’s director of coaching Max Jones is upbeat his small Olympic Games track and field squad will fulfil their potential – and possibly steal at least one podium place.

Jones rates a dozen of the current crop of Irish athletes as world-class performers but has no intention of branding any of them as definite medal winners in Beijing.

Since Ronnie Delaney’s 1,500metre success at the Melbourne Games of 1956, there have been only silver medals from John Treacy – in the 1984 Los Angeles marathon - and Sonia O’Sullivan over 5,000m eight years ago in Sydney.

It is that background which makes Jones extremely cautious about predicting a medal tally.

He said: “The standard of competition which we witnessed at last summer’s World Championships will be even more fierce.

“Just for anyone to make a final will be an outstanding achievement given the opposition they will be up against – but once you are in it anything can happen.”

The coaching guru admits he feels Robert Heffernan is possibly the best bet for a top-three finish in the 20kilometres walk – last year he finished sixth at the world championships.

Jones explained: “Robert’s proved time and again he is a world-class performer and given how easy it can be to get disqualified for lifting, he needs to keep his concentration and particularly any yellow cards early in the race.

“That will make it a lot easier for him in the closing stages and it is such an unpredictable event, I feel he might just be an outside bet for a medal.”

Heffernan knows from the IAAF World Race Walking Cup in Cheboksary in May - when he finished ninth – that he faces an uphill task in the heat and humidity of Beijing.

But having sliced 53 seconds from his Irish record with a time of one hour 19 mins 22 secs – and undertaken some consistent training since then – he will be in shape to mount a serious challenge.