Injury makes O'Sullivan doubtful for Lausanne
The short course trials in Dunleer took on a new dimension yesterday when it was revealed the former double world cross-country champion is still having treatment for an Achilles tendon injury.
But her partner, Nick Bideau, and her coach, Alan Storey, were upbeat about the situation, pointing out that the short course race in Lausanne was still very much her priority and that she would definitely be participating in the Dunleer event on March 16.
She is being treated by Alison Roe and is responding well to treatment but her participation in the world cross-country championships will obviously depend on her performance in Dunleer where her opponents will include Anne Keenan-Buckley and Geraldine Hendricken.
Meanwhile, Gillian O'Sullivan admitted she was somewhat bemused with the prediction last week that she could break the world indoor record at the All-Ireland championships in Belfast at the weekend.
"We laughed about it when we read it," she said. "But, needless to say, I was delighted when it happened."
She was back home in Kerry reflecting on her second world record she was presented with the plaque for last year's 5,000m outdoor walk record by Mary Peters at the Odyssey Arena and preparing for her coming trip to Mexico.
She will be hoping to take her form outdoors there when she competes in the 20k walk at the Grand Prix in Tijuana on March 8.
After the excitement of Belfast on Saturday she was in Cork on Sunday for a 19k training walk with Robert Heffernan, who won his fifth successive indoor title on Saturday.
Those days Gillian is logging 85 miles per week on her programme to perfection. She trained in New Zealand before Christmas but came home early when she injured her Achilles.
Her rise to stardom may be underscored by her recent world records but she had already arrived on the global scene at the time of the Sydney Olympics when she finished 10th and followed that up with a fourth placing at the European championships in Munich last year.
But, in between, came the big watershed in her career when she was disqualified in the world championships in Edmonton two years ago.
There is more to racewalking that just getting out there and pounding the roads. She has included circuit training twice a week in her training schedule and she also likes to lift weights once a week when possible.
She has lost weight in recent times half a stone since Sydney. After Tijuana she will fly to Mexico where she will train with some of the world's leading race-walkers.
She will be joined in Mexico by another world ranked walker, Olive Loughnane, as well as Jamie Costin who opens his outdoor season in the Isle of Man in two weeks time and Colin Griffin.
Heffernan, who picked up an injury after returning from training in Florida, will not make the trip.
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