Heffernan out of World Cup due to knee injury
According to one source, it would take a miracle for Heffernan to be fit in time to compete as he has been unable to train in recent weeks. It comes as a huge disappointment after his spectacular performance at the European championships in Munich where he finished eighth. He was 14th in the world championships in Edmonton last year.
Gillian O'Sullivan, whose world record for 5,000m was ratified recently, will be one of the medal favourites when she lines up for the women's 20k. She finished fourth in the European championships when she failed to hold off the flying finish of Italian Erica Alfridi in the contest for the bronze medal.
There are many who still hold the opinion there was no way the Italian could have come from so far back to claim the medal in just 500m and the Killarney athlete will be out to avenge that turnaround when she lines up in Turin. O'Sullivan, who finished 10th in the Sydney Olympics, had the satisfaction of setting a new national record at 1:28.46 and if she was to claim a medal in Turin it would be the perfect ending to a memorable season.
Olive Loughnane was 13th in the European championships and she will again join Gillian O'Sullivan on the line in Turin. Young Colin Griffin (Ballinamore) will face his biggest assignment since graduating from junior ranks when he joins Jamie Costin (West Waterford) and Jeff Cassin (Finn Valley) in the men's 20k. Cassin as also named at 50k. The management team will be Liam Hennessy and Bernie O'Callaghan and Mary Mulvany will be the team physio.
Meantime Geraldine Hendricken took her amazing run of form across the Atlantic at the weekend to win the Ro-Jacks Five Mile Classic at Attleboro, Massachusetts, from fellow international and former Providence
College team-mate Marie Davenport (nee McMahon).
"I was over for a wedding and decided to take in the race," she said en route from Boston yesterday. "I
finished third there five or six years ago. It is a great race."
She won the women's title in 26:02 (49th overall) and that was more than half a minute faster than Marie Davenport (26:34) with Kimberley Smith third in 26:40. Mark Carroll, continuing his build up to the New York Marathon, finished fourth, while there was good news for Ireland in advance of the cross-country season in the form of a fifth placing for Keith Kelly.
Hendricken had intended to compete both in this event and in the Downtown 5k in Providence but she had to give the latter a miss when she was handed a place in the Grand Prix final in Paris.
That turned out to be a sensational ending to her track season as she once again posted a career best time, finishing third in the 1,500m in 4:02.08, a full second faster than her previous best.
The race was won by the Russian Yelena Zadorozhnaya in 4:00.63 from Suzy Favor-Hamilton, 4:01.08. Paris was just fantastic," she said. "I did not know until the Monday after Berlin that I would be involved at all. I thought somebody might have picked up five points for a win in Rieti on the Sunday but that did not happen." After funding her own way around Europe for the Grand Prix and Golden League meets, the prize of $20,000 was welcome.
Men's 20km: Robert Heffernan (Togher AC), Jamie Costin (West Waterford AC), Colin Griffin (Ballinamore AC), Jeff Cassin (Finn Valley).
50km: Jeff Cassin (Finn Valley).
20km: Gillian O'Sullivan (Farranfore/Maine
Valley), Olive Loughnane (Loughrea).
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