Ballymore's Oisín excels at World University Games

Ballymore athlete Oisín Lane represented the University of Limerick and Ireland at the FISU Summer World University Games in Bochum, Germany last weekend.

Oisín competed in the 20k race walk early last Sunday morning, his first time to compete at world level, which is great preparation for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in September.

The course was a 1,250m loop through a wooded park and had lots of twists, turns and dips and also had a long pull, so it was really like a cross country course, but on tarmac paths.

The morning was humid, but it rained beforehand, which helped to take the edge off the oppressive heat and humidity. The pack went out at a reasonable pace but didn’t really start racing until the third kilometre.

Once Oisín got into real racing mode, the Mullingar Harriers athlete raced intelligently and with great determination. The majority of the leading pack picked up red cards but Oisin maintained a totally clean sheet, a testament to his excellent focus and technique.

Covering each 5k quicker than the previous, this was Oisin’s best race yet on the hardest course that he has faced abroad.

Oisín crossed the finish line well up in 11th place in 1 hour 23 minutes and 6 seconds, which is a new personal best. Oisín, whose sister Aisling is also a talented and dedicated athlete, was delighted with his result and also happy that his preparations for the World Championships in Tokyo are going so well.