In Ireland, when a headline reads O'Sullivan Sets World Record in 5,000m, even a true athletics aficionado would assume it was Sonia but this time it was Gillian as in Gillian O'Sullivan, Ireland's Olympic walker and new World Record holder in the 5,000 metre walk event. |
The Farranfore Maine Valley AC athlete covered the five-kilometre distance in 20.02.60 eclipsing Kerry Saxby-Junna's (Australia) mark of 20.13.26 set in Hobart on 25th February 1996. It is only the second IAAF World Record set by an Irish athlete. Sonia O'Sullivan, ironically set the other record, in the rarely run 2,000m (5.25.36) set in 1994. |
Gillian O'Sullivan - photo courtesy of BBC Online  |
After the race, renowned athletics journalist Brendan Mooney from the Examiner got the Kerrywoman's reaction, "I could hear from the public address that I was on schedule but I tried to keep my concentration and my style. I really felt a good time was on after the first couple of laps but I never really thought about the world record until I saw the clock with a lap to go and knew that I had a chance. Then I just gave it everything." Robert Heffernan (Togher AC) won the 10,000-metre walk event in 38.47.66 breaking his own National Record (38.58.53) that he set winning last year's National title.  |