Updated 14.30
COLIN GRIFFIN PUT his Olympic qualification ghosts to bed at the IAAF World Cup of Race Walking in Saransk, Russia this morning.
The Ballinamore native finished 15th in the men’s 50km walk, comfortably inside the “A” standard with a time of 3:52:54.
Griffin received two red cards inside the opening 10 kilometres of the final Olympic qualifier, leaving him one slip away from another devastating disqualification.
But the 29-year-old kept his composure in testing conditions to become Ireland’s 18th athletics qualifier for London 2012, the highest number ever.
Afterwards Griffin, who was disqualified in Slovakia in March when on course to crack the “A” standard of 3:59:00, tweeted his delight.
There was disappointment for two other Olympic hopefuls, Jamie Costin and Michael Doyle, both of whom were unable to finish the race.
In the women’s 20km, Olive Loughnane put in a confidence-boosting performance to finish eighth in a season’s best time of 1:31:32. Laura Reynolds faded late on to finish 35th in 1:37:06, well outside her best of 1:34:42.
