Adeleke absence diminishes Irish Worlds hopes, fears Heffernan

Rob Heffernan would love to pass on mantle as Ireland's last medalist at a World Athletics Championships

Champion race walker Rob Heffernan has organised a feast of one-mile racing along the Marina promenade in Cork city. Picture Chani Anderson

International matters first, then we’ll deal with local initiative.

The starting gun fires on the World Athletics Championships this Saturday. Ireland achieved a pair of fourth place finishes at the most recent edition two years ago in Budapest. Ireland also recorded a pair of fourth place finishes at last summer’s Paris Games.