Another test for Gillian as Irish walkers challenge in force

ATHLETICS Ireland has announced their biggest ever team for the IAAF World Cup of Race Walking in Naumburg, Germany on May 1-2.

The team will be led by World 20km silver medallist Gillian O'Sullivan and World Youth 5,000m silver medallist Ann Loughnane.

The World Cup will be the first serious test for O'Sullivan on the road to Athens and, as it’s a team event in the main, she will face serious competition from the Russians and Chinese.

Joining O'Sullivan will be Sydney Olympian Olive Loughnane, who recently made a world class breakthrough by finishing a place behind O'Sullivan in the IAAF Grand Prix in Mexico. The Mens 20km team is led by Athens bound Robert Heffernan and Jamie Costin, both of whom are on the comeback trail from injury.

Heffernan booked his Olympic place with a top class sixth place in the IAAF Grand Prix in Mexico two weeks ago and will be keen to improve on his last major championship finish when he took eighth place at the Europeans in Munich in 2002. For Costin, Irish record holder over 50km, the event will mark his return to competition since the World Championships in Paris last August. He will be keen to show he is over the injury problems which kept him off the road for over three months.

World Youths silver medallist Ann Loughnane has been selected to lead the Junior women's team, although a clash with her exams in UCG may see her having to pull out of the team.

Jeff Cassin has been selected over 50km and he will be keen to improve on his best time of 4.01.01, agonisingly close to the 4.00.00 limit which would see him make the Athens squad.

Altogether, there will be $270,000 up for grabs at the competition.