Olive out to sustain upward mobility

OLIVE LOUGHNANE is ready for the race of her life in tomorrow morning’s women’s 20k walk in Beijing, according to coach Ray Flynn.

The Sligo man, himself a former race walker, was present in Cheboksary the day she made a major breakthrough by breaching an hour and half for the first time.

But it was not just the time — 1:29:17 — that was significant, it was the fact that she finished sixth in what was the most competitive walking race of the year.