Back injury still hinders O'Sullivan

Athletics NewsInjury continues to hamper Gillian O'Sullivan's preparations for the Athens Olympics, just three weeks before the opening ceremony on August 13th.

Tomorrow's 5,000-metre walk at the national championships in Santry will be her last test before the 20-kilometre walk in Athens, but problems during her most recent spell of altitude training, in the south of France, have cast some doubt over her fitness.

The world championship silver medallist was back in her Cork base yesterday, intent on using tomorrow's event as nothing more than a hard work-out. Athens remains the only priority. And yet comparisons are bound to be made to her world record performance of 20:02.60 for the 5,000-metre distance delivered on the same occasion two years ago.

Pain in the lower back, which has been inhibiting her stride, is the source of her frustration. It has been lingering for several weeks and was the cause of her dropping out of her last major race, the IAAF Grand Prix event in La Coruna back on June 5th.

"I was still able to train quite hard," she said yesterday, referring to the three-week spell at Font Romeau. "It just wasn't quite as positive as I would have liked. But I've worked around it, and stayed focused. There were some good periods of training but it just wasn't perfect. But sure what is?

"But I'll take a day or two to recover from the altitude training, and wait and see how it goes on Saturday. But the time or anything else is not a priority. It's just a good work-out. And hopefully, I can get a fair indication of where I'm at, and the few things that might need some more focus in training between now and Athens."

Part of the problem for the Kerry woman has been getting a precise diagnosis.

"It's around the lower back and hip area, but just seems to be very tight. It needs to be worked on a lot and I have worked on it a lot. But I'm staying positive about it. There is still some time to get it totally right before Athens."

In happier form yesterday was discus thrower Nick Sweeney, who is on his way to his fourth Olympics after finally receiving ratification of his 64.12-metre throw, achieved back on July 4th.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) confirmed all the necessary documentation was now in their hands and Sweeney would officially become the 14th athlete on their list - which takes the Irish team total to 49.

Crucial to that ratification was official recognition of the throw by the IAAF, whose ranking list is the basis for all qualification marks. Sweeney's mark finally appeared on that list yesterday, and ranks him 30th in the world so far this season. Virgilijus Alekna of Lithuania is the season-leader with his 70.97 metres.

Sweeney (36) was always confident his throw would be recognised. Yet there were some doubts over the official permit of the event, which was staged at a small meeting in Allston just outside Boston. Once the US authorities ratified the throw, however, it was unlikely the IAAF would fail to do likewise.

In the meantime the OCI have reiterated that the door is now closed on Olympic qualification. It remains to be seen if they'll budge should any more athletes achieve an A standard this weekend.