Racewalking Nations Match, Vallensbaek, Denmark, May 22nd

Belgium v Denmark v Ireland v Holland v Switzerland

The Copenhagen suburb of Vallensbaek played host to the annual racewalking nations 20km match at the weekend. The competition, organised with military precision by Thomas Christensen and the Danish Athletic Federation, provided an opportunity for athletes to achieve the qualifying standards for this summer's Olympics as the window of opportunity for aspiring Olympians grows ever narrower. The Irish team was unlucky to finish third in the 2003 competition, having tied on points with the first and second placed nations, and this year the team of David Kidd and Pat Ryan hoped to go all the way and lift the title. The main opposition came from Switzerland, who started as favourites with two sub 90 minute walkers and also hosts Denmark, led by Jacob Sorensen,  the individual winner in 2002 and 2003.

From the start the field split into two - a lead group which inluded Sorensen, Kidd and Swiss walkers Bruno Grandjean and Nicolas Perrier. Pat Ryan settled in with the second group which he led in the opening stages with Belgium's Frank Buytaert. After 5km Kidd went into the lead and put in a strong series of even paced laps, however he was unable to shake off Grandjean and Sorenson who were still on his shoulder at the 15km mark. With 3km remaining, Sorensen made a break from the group and quickly opened up a lead, Grandjean, who was carrying two warnings, responded with a strong surge over the final 2km and broke away from Kidd. Sorensen went on to retain his title in 1:31.05, declaring afterwards that he was using the event as preparation for an attempt on the Olympic 50km qualifying time, which he hoped to achieve at the Dublin Grand Prix in June. Grandjean finished second and Kidd took third place in 1:32:37. Frank Buytaert broke away from Pat Ryan after 8km however the Irishman maintained a strong pace and gradually dropped everyone in the second group, eventually finishing in sixth place in 1:38.16. When the points were awarded, Ireland had finished in second place behind Switzerland with a score of 13 points, an improvement of 2 points on the 2003 performance.

In the mens open 20km race Tim Seaman and Erik Tysse beat out a metronomic pace at the head of the field in search of the Olympic A standard. Seaman finished first in a new American record of 1:22.02 with Tysse not far behind in 1:22.15, the second fastest time ever by a Norwegian and comfortably inside the A standard.

The International Youths 5km event featured Irish junior indoor champion Peter Muldoon from Shercock, who was competing in his first representative international. The field included athletes from Denmark, Belgium, Holland and Sweden and from the start Casper Hansson from the host nation broke away from the field with strong sustained effort. At the 1km mark, Belgium's Olivier Colette set off in pursuit of Hansson, eventually catching the Dane at the 3km point from where the pair engaged in a head to head battle all the way to the finish with Hansson finally winning in 22:57. Peter Muldoon kept up a conservative pace at the head of the chasing group for the first half of the race before pushing on strongly over the closing stages to finish well clear in third place in a time of 24:40. With all three Irish athletes featuring on the podium, it was a rewarding outing for the small contingent from Ireland.