O’Sullivan goes the extra mile in Milan

GILLIAN O’SULLIVAN smashed her own 20k walk Irish record and set herself up as one of the favourites for August’s world championships in Paris when she led all the way to win the IAAF Race Walking Challenge in Milan yesterday.

The double world record holder crossed the line in 87 mins 22 secs, well inside her old Irish record which she set at 88 mins 46 secs, with Norway's Olympic silver medallist, Kjersti Platzer, more than two minutes behind in 89 mins 55 secs.

It was a spectacular performance by the 26 year old Killarney woman a member of the Farranfore/Maine Valley club who now takes a clear lead in the Grand Prix for which there is an overall prize of $30,000.