Heffernan walking tall with Olympic preparations

ROBERT HEFFERNAN continues his Olympic preparations by competing in the 20k event at Sunday’s racewalking extravaganza in the Phoenix Park.

Heffernan, who posted the second fastest time of his career, 1:20:55, in La Coruna earlier this month admits to being extremely satisfied with his preparations ahead of his August 20 outing in Athens.

“There are a couple of good fellows coming to Dublin and it will give me a good idea as to where I am right now,” he said yesterday, adding that he has a definite training schedule in place for after the weekend.

“But, at this point, I just have to train right through to the race. If I was to ease down then I would go into the race fresh and then you are in a situation where you are drawing on your reserves and that takes a lot out of you.

“We are going to train at altitude in Font Remou next week and I need to be ready for that.”

However, he admitted it is very tempting to throw caution to the wind following two outstanding performances over 20k in La Coruna and then 10k in Krakow a week later when he finished in 40 minutes.

“It is all coming together right now,” he said. “ I was sick going to the World Cup in Germany and I was very disappointed there. I had done everything right. I came back from altitude in great form but the week before Naumburg I got sick and went into the race not knowing what to expect.

“But come the Grand Prix in La Coruna, I was back to my best. I was up there racing in a group and I was able to mix it and that gives your confidence a boost. Unlike Germany when I died near the end, now my splits were very even.

“The fact that I went to Poland the following week and beat the boys who finished ahead of me in La Coruna was also very satisfactory.”

He will be joined in Sunday’s race by Jaimie Costin, who has qualified for the Olympics at 50k but continues to improve his personal best for 20k.

Gillian O’Sullivan continues her rehabilitation after injury and while she goes to altitude next week it is unlikely she will compete on Sunday.

All five Australians with Olympic qualification will compete. They include Jane Saville, who was disqualified on the way into the stadium at the Sydney Olympics. She finished fourth in the World Cup in Naumburg where her sister, Nathalie, posted her Olympic standard.

Ireland will be represented by Olive Loughnane in the women’s 20k.