Loughnane to put groundwork to the test as Shinkins returns to top flight

OLIVE LOUGHNANE will put her preparation to the test when she lines-up for the women’s 20k walk tomorrow morning.

Cork-born Loughnane took a low-key approach in the lead-up to the world championships in Helsinki, opting for just one serious race - the 20k championship at the Waterford Crystal Grand Prix in Dublin, where she led from start to finish.

She put the finishing touches to her preparations with a second national title - 5,000m on the track - at the Woodies DIY national championships in Santry.

In between she avoided the Grand Prix races, the world cup of race walking and the European championships.

“I qualified for the world championships early so I decided to avail of the opportunity to prepare differently,” she said.

“I was able to work on the technical side of my walking and then, when I went inside the A qualifying standard in the Phoenix Park, I was happy I was going in the right direction.”

She admitted, however, that not having had more events meant she will be going into uncharted waters today but she can turn to an impressive record at the world championships, where she finished 13th and 14th in previous attempts.

Last time was when Gillian O’Sullivan won silver in Paris two years ago. Since then both have had problems. Gillian had a prolonged struggle with injury but is back on the road now.

Olive went to the Olympics in Athens last year sick and was left wondering if it was the right thing to do.

“You just don’t bluff at this level,” she said. “There is no place to hide.”

Tomorrow’s race will be decided on the main street of Helsinki and the circuit passes the National Museum and Finlandia Hall.

The favourites for the gold medal both come from Russia - the European Cup winner from the spring, Olimpiada Ivanova (1:28:18), the runner-up in Athens and a legend in women’s race walking, and the reigning world champion, Yelena Nikolayeva (1:27:24) - and are consistent championship performers.

The two top IAAF race walking challenge competitors of the last two years, Elisa Riguado of Italy, taking over from Gillian O’Sullivan, and this year’s current leader Ryta Turava of Belarus, are also likely to figure.

Portugal’s Susana Feitor was runner-up to Ivanova in the European Cup, just ahead of Riguado, and is also a threat.

But the Chinese team is the strongest and 19-year-old Jiang Jing walked a personal best of 1:27:19 earlier this season.

In the same race in Nanning, Liping Wang, the 2000 Olympic champion, who came back from maternity leave last year, was a good second in 1:27:24.

The surprise Olympic winner, Athanasia Tsoumeleka from Greece, has to be considered again as she comes back from injury, while the host nation will be represented by Outi Sillanpaa, who walked her personal best over the world championship course in April.

Karen Shinkins makes a welcome return to top level when she competes in the heats of the women’s 400m tomorrow.

She has had her problems in recent years, compounded by the withdrawal of her grant this year, but she was back to her best on the track.

She got the season off to a flying start, but was laid low by illness.

However, she demonstrated at the national championships that she can still be a force.