Loughnane is 'feeling very strong'

ATHLETICS:IT'S NOT necessarily a good thing that Olive Loughnane has enjoyed a perfectly low-key build-up to her 20km walk around Daegu – and from that launches the first real assault on an Irish medal.

In some ways it’s reminiscent of her build-up to the World Championships in Berlin two years ago, where Loughnane won a brilliant silver medal, yet the reality is she’s had a quiet two years in between, and at age 35 may find it difficult to repeat the exceptionally competitive performance of 2009.

Loughnane, however, does have considerable experience on her side: the Russian women will no doubt lead the way when the race gets under way in the early hours of tomorrow morning (1am Irish time) but race walking is notoriously unpredictable, not least because of the constant threat of disqualification.

“Just like Berlin I’ve prepared very well, and am feeling very strong,” says Loughnane, having spent the final week of her preparations at a training camp in Seoul.

“You don’t forget moments like Berlin two years ago and what I remember most about the race was how I managed to focus on things, especially when the going became difficult and a couple of those around me started to make moves in such a way that I wondered if I could keep the pace going, stay in the hunt for a medal.

“That what I’ve worked on again, my strength through the last 5km, and the importance of staying positive and strong and focused.”

It shouldn’t be forgotten Loughnane also produced the best result of an Irish athlete at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, with her seventh place, and while conditions even in the early morning will be difficult, the real challenge is the nature of the opposition.

Ever-consistent Olga Kaniskina is bidding to become the first woman to win three World 20km walk titles, and is joined by fellow Russians Vera Sokolov and Anisya Kirdyapkina, who earlier this year recorded the two fastest times in history, 1:25:08 and 1:25:09, respectively. Loughnane’s best of 1:27.45 goes back to 2008, and she’ll also be watching out for China’s Liu Hong, who took bronze behind Loughnane in Berlin, yet beat her in the Phoenix Park in June, clocking 1:29:44 to Loughane’s 1:31:55.

Meanwhile, the only Irish athlete in action overnight is Ciarán O’Lionaird, who having clocked the breakthrough time of 3:34.46, seeks a place in the semi-finals of the men’s 1,500 metres.

Yesterday's Event Finals

Men

Hammer Throw – 1 Koji Murofushi (Jpn) 81.24m, 2 K Pars (Hun) 81.18, 3 P Kozmus (Slo) 79.39.

Pole Vault – 1 Pawel Wojciechowski (Pol) 5.9m, 2 L Borges (Cub) 5.9, 3 R Lavillenie (Fra) 5.85.

Women

100m – 1 Carmelita Jeter (USA) 10.9 secs, 2 V Campbell-Brown (Jam) 10.97, 3 K-A Baptiste (Tri) 10.98.

400m – 1 Amantle Montsho (Bot) 49.56secs, 2 A Felix (USA) 49.59, 3 A Kapachinskaya (Rus) 50.24.

Shot Put – 1 Valerie Adams (Nzl) 21.24m, 2 N Ostapchuk (Blr) 20.05, 3 J Camarena-Williams (USA) 20.02.