Athletics: World ChampionshipsJust as well we packed the thesaurus - it could be a productive week for Irish athletics. Robert Heffernan's sixth-place finish in the 20km walk surpassed all expectations, leaving him close to the heels of two of the greats: Ecuador's Jefferson Perez and Spain's Javier "Paco" Fernandez - Heffernan's training partner - who took gold and silver for the third successive time.
The walk may not be the glamour discipline of athletics but it's fiercely competitive, and sixth place - a year from the Beijing Olympics - was hugely satisfying. There's a fine line between success and disaster in walking and the Corkman had the courage to finish the right side of it.
Now aged 29, Heffernan spent several weeks last winter working on building sites to earn the money to train (he lost his grant after being disqualified at the last World Championships). Last year he underwent a double-hernia operation. This was payback time, in the sense of proving it to himself and others.
He leaves Osaka today to escort his daughter, Meghan, to her first day at school; being away from her for much of the past six months was only part of his sacrifice.
"I've come back from the last two championships making excuses," he said. "Since then it's been such a big learning curve again, but everything just unfolded for me this year. I just wanted to get that result for the people who stood behind me over the past few years."
Among those standing behind him were his partner, Marion, and his coach, Robert Korzeniowski, Poland's double Olympic champion in the 20km and 50km walks.
Korzeniowski, admitted Heffernan, had effectively revived his career when plenty figured it was done. Several weeks training with another of Korzeniowski's stable, Fernandez, revived his enthusiasm.
"The training has been so structured, and so much better-prepared. This is the end product of that.
"Korzeniowski has just told me, 'This was all planned, this is normal for you,' and that's the way I feel. I knew all the work was done and it was just up to me, mentally, to deliver. After all the disappointments of the past I'm just delighted to have done that.
"It was just a shame at the end that I couldn't really give it everything, but I was on two warnings - and fuming with that - just couldn't take the chance. But I just needed to set a marker there, going into the Olympics next year."
Later Korzeniowski told him the next step would be getting mentally prepared to win a medal in Beijing, and for sure that's a realistic ambition. At 57 kilos and 5ft 8in Heffernan is, pound for pound, among the strongest walkers in the world, and the way he handled the conditions of Osaka suggests he'll have nothing to fear in 12 months' time.
As expected, some have adapted to the sweaty heat of Osaka better than others; the surprise is many of those are European and American.
The 33 Celsius of early Saturday morning was the highest temperature ever recorded for the finish of a World Championship marathon, and you only had to look at the face of Kenya's winner, Luke Kibet, to see he didn't enjoy the experience.
The clock reflected that; 2:15:59 the slowest low-altitude, championship-winning time since the Melbourne Olympics in 1956. But the heat only partly explains why the pale Swiss Viktor Rothlin took bronze in 2:17:25. Where were all the other Africans?
Later that night, in an epic 10,000 metres, there was further upset when many of the Kenyan and Ethiopian women faded. Although Ethiopia's Tirunesh Dibaba survived a stomach cramp to retain her title in 31:55.41, there was a shock bronze medal for Kara Goucher of the US.
It's hardly a sign of any real threat to African dominance of distance running, but it does give some extra hope to Róisín McGettigan and Fionnuala Britton in today's steeplechase final.
McGettigan was a model of confidence in qualifying, her fourth place in the first of Saturday's three heats coming in 9:39.41 - ninth-fastest of the 15 finalists. The Wicklow woman, who turned 27 last Thursday, is finally fulfilling some of her potential.
"Last year in Gothenburg, not qualifying, was devastating for me," she said. "After that my motivation came back so much stronger. I was just determined to get it right at (major) championships - not just for myself, but everyone else who supported me. My times showed me I could do it, and I wanted to prove that by making the final.
"I was in that frame of mind, expecting it to come. It's something I've been aiming for all year, and with the Olympics next year I want to be in that final too. But I'll be aiming high here, see what I can do, because I've nothing to lose now that I'm in the final."
Britton joined her with a typically plucky run in her heat, holding on for seventh in 9:42.38 - and thus going through as the last qualifier. She will find it tough, but at 22, she will benefit from the experience.
"Yeah, to be there, that was the main thing," she said. "I missed the first six weeks of the season with an ankle injury, but I'm coming back strong and hopefully can go with the pace."
Joanne Cuddihy was always likely to get out of her 400-metre heat, which she did impressively yesterday when taking third in 51.55, but she is drawn in a brutally hard semi-final this evening (1.10pm Irish time). Among her opponents is the 2003 champion Ana Guevara of Mexico and the American Natasha Hastings. Being drawn in lane eight adds to Cuddihy's difficulties.
"Well that's what I'm here for," she said. "There's definitely more in the tank, but I know I'll have to run under 51 seconds to have a chance."
The Irish record of 51.07 is definitely within her reach, but going through may be asking too much.
Today's schedule
(All times Irish)
02:00 Women discus qualification A 02:10 Women 100mH first round (Derval O'Rourke)
02:30 Women long jump qualification
02:40 Men high jump qualification
03:50 Women 400mH first round (Michelle Carey)
03:30 Women discus qualification B
11:30 Men hammer final
12:00 Women 100m semi-final
12:20 Women 3,000m steeplechase final (Róisín McGettigan; Fionnuala Britton)
12:30 Men triple jump final
12:40 Men 1,500m semi-final
13:10 Women 400m semi-final (Joanne Cuddihy)
13:40 Men 10,000m final
14:20 Women 100m final
