Costin and Griffin drop out of 50k walk in Berlin

Ireland’s 50k race walkers Jamie Costin and Colin Griffin were unable to finish the 50k race walk final at the World Championships this morning.

In gruelling conditions in Berlin both Irish walkers were in the middle of the pack and walking steadily with Griffin and Costin in 22nd and 26th respectively through the half-way point.

However after the 30k mark the heat began to take its toll and they dropped out of the race along with a third of the field that had started early this morning.

The race was won by Russia’s Sergey Kirdyapkin in a time of 3:38:35.

Irish eyes will now focus on Dublin’s David Gillick in the final of the 400m tonight at the Olympic Stadium in Berlin.

Gillick will be hoping to cap a memorable week for Irish athletics when he begins his race at 8.20pm Irish time.