Heffernan scuppers Russian walk clean sweep

MOSCOW (AFP) - Irishman Robert Heffernan scuppered Russian hopes of a third race walk medal at the World Athletics Championships on Wednesday, as Ethiopian hopes of a women's long-distance double continue.

Heffernan made up for his fourth-place position at last year's London Olympics by striding to victory in the 50km walk in 3hr 37min 56sec in energy-sapping conditions along the banks of the Moskva river.

Silver went to Russian Mikhail Ryzhov, who was unable to mirror the exploits of compatriots Aleksandr Ivanov and Elena Lashmanova in the men and women's 20km walks.

Australia's two-time Olympic silver medallist Jared Tallent took the bronze, with Heffernan's gold the first world title for the Irish since Sonia O'Sullivan's victory in the 5000 metres in Gothenburg, Sweden, in 1995.

Ethiopian Olympic champion Meseret Defar headed qualification for the women's 5000m, clocking 15min 22.94sec to lead teammates Buze Diriba and Almaz Ayana into Saturday's final.

Notable by her absence was Defar's arch-rival and team-mate Tirunesh Dibaba, the Ethiopian athletics federation having taken the decision not to enter either runner for the 5,000-10,000m double in order to give their younger teammates a taste of competition on the global stage.

Dibaba won the 10,000m on Sunday, and an Ethiopian double, albeit with Defar to the fore, seems to be on the cards.

Defar has one gold (2007), a silver and two bronzes over the distance and will be favourite in the absence of defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot of Kenya, who is expecting her first child.

"The race was very nice and quiote comfortable," said Defar. "I am ready for the final. Our plans for Ethiopia is to win two or even the three medals if we can.

"Of course it will be a battle between Ethiopia and Kenya again," with Kenya to be represented in the final by Viola Kibiwot and Mercy Cherono.

Spain's Eusebio Caceres headed qualification for the men's long jump, the final of which will on Friday.

Caceres' 8.25m led a field that included veteran American Dwight Phillips, a four-time world champion, but Britain's Olympic champion Greg Rutherford missed the cut.

"Five weeks ago I ruptured my hamstring in Paris, that was a nightmare," said the Briton. "I didn't think I could come here, but I recovered incredibly quickly and two weeks later I was jumping again, but it was not enough time.

"It's a pity because I don't think the long jump is at a tremendous level at the moment."

Phillips, 35, was happy he hadn't hung up his spikes last year, as previously planned.

"Ultimately I wanted last year to be my last year in athletics," he said. "But those injuries were killing me and I had to watch the Olympics on television.

"So now I'm just happy to be here. These are my seventh world championships and I am in the final. Once you're in the final, anything can happen."

There was a shock in the women's hammer throw qualification as world record-holder Betty Heidler of Germany missed the cut.

Heidler, the 2007 world champion, could only manage 68.83m, with Poland's Anita Wlodarczyk heading the top 12 for the final with a best of 76.19m.

"I had technical problems," said Heidler. "The movements of the arms and legs did not match. I am very disappointed.

"Sometimes it works out for you, sometimes not. This morning, it did not work out. It's hard to tell what was the reason for this. Small mistakes take some metres away and big mistakes a lot of metres.

"That is the challenge in the hammer throw -- whether you've got it or you did not get it, so a whole year's work has gone today."