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April 1st 2009

 

Colin loses record but gets Berlin standard

 

Last Saturday's 50Km Grand Prix Walk in Dudince in Slovakia brought mixed feelings for Colin Griffin as he achieved the A standard qualifying time for the World Championships in Berlin but also lost his Irish record to Jamie Costin.

 

The Ballinamore walker finished in fifth position with a time of 3:53.52 behind 2007 World silver medallist Johann Dinez of France (3:38.45) in the European Athletic Association Grand Prix meeting, a race which Colin won in 2007.

 

The event drew a large field of top class walkers. Dinez, who won the European 50K title in 2006 and finished runner-up in the 2007 World Championship, did not finish in Beijing and did not have a qualifying standard for Berlin.

 

He put this right on Saturday showing himself to be one of the leading 50K walkers at the present time.

Fellow Irish Olympian Jamie Costin of Waterford had an excellent race to finish third behind Matej Toth of Slovakia (3:41.32) in a new Irish record of 3:50.51.

Costin did not have either the A or B standard from last year despite finishing the event in Beijing. He had been dropped from among the "carded" athletes by the Irish Sports Council during the allocation of 2009 grants a few weeks ago.

Now his grant must be restored and, like Colin, he can prepare for Berlin without being worried about qualification.

Colin's coach Sandro Damilano had told him before the race that a performance of around 3.55.00 was attainable at his present level of preparation and that this would be satisfactory.

He achieved this with ease but did not yet have the sharpness to respond when the Polish walker took off in the last ten kilometres and Costin pursued him to deprive him of third.

The achievement yesterday also qualifies the athletes for the 2010 European Championships.

 

From Leitrim Observer