Great performances produced in Russia by by local racewalkers racewalkers
THE Irish team of seven racewalkers had an outstanding weekend at the 23rd World Cup of Racewalking held in Cheboksary, Russia, over the week-end.
With huge fields in all the events the athletes not alone performed up to standard and avoided disqualification but produced a national record, three personal bests and three season bests it what was one of the best-ever performances by an Irish group of athletes in a World Racewalking event.
The venue is six hundred kilometres east of Moscow and so popular is the sport there that an estimated sixty thousand spectators watched the five events.
Local athletes
Leitrim had two athletes and Cavan one among the seven which were managed by Ray Flynn of Sligo with Michael Lane of Mullingar as coach. Colin Griffin completed his second ever 50K Walk in twenty fifth position with a time of 3.58.26 which is also inside the Olympic "A" Standard and will also qualify him for the European Track and Field Championships in Berlin next year as well as continuation of Sports Council support.
Cavan athlete
impresses
19 year old Shercock athlete Paul Fitzpatrick from Adamagh, Ballyhaise, com-peted at World level for the first time and put up a very good performance in the Junior 10K coming home in forty first position with a season`s best of 46.11.
The event was won by Russia`s Aleksey Bartsaykin in a new World Junior record of 39.57.
Paul has been showcasing his talents at athletics since the tender age of six and is a student at Dundalk IT and hopes to progress to a career in quantity surveying.
He is the current Irish Junior race walking champion, a crown he has retained two years running.
Laura Reynolds put up a personal best performance of 51.36 in the Junior 10K in taking thirty fifth position.
Her teammate Donna Carolan of Inbhir De A C in Wicklow had a personal best of 54.05 for forty sixth position and the two girls made up a Team in the Junior event where they placed sixteenth.
Colin Griffin of Ballinamore A C achieved the Olympic "A" Standard for the second time taking 25th in the 50K Walk in 3:58.26.
The event was won by Russian Denis Nizhegorodov in a world record 3:34.14.
New Irish record
On Sunday last, Robbie Heffernan of Togher A C set a new Irish Record of 1:19.22 taking ninth in the 20K behind winner Francisco Fernandez of Spain whose time of 1.18.15 was a Championship record.
Jamie Costin of West Waterford who will join Colin Griffin in the 50K at the Beijing Olympic Games finished 59th in a seasonal best of 1.25.59.
In the Womens` Junior 10K Walk yesterday Laura Reynolds of Mohill A C was thirty fifth in a personal best time of 51.36 with Donna Carolan of Inbhir De A C forty sixth in a personal best time of 54.05.
The two junior girls also constituted a team which finished in 16th position.
