5,000m Walk promises to be one of the top events at AAI Indoor Championships this Weekend This weekends National Indoor Championships promises to get off to a flying start with European Champion and Olympic silver medallist Francisco Fernandez competing in the 5000m walk. Fernandez will be joined by his Spanish team-mate Jorge Silva, in what promises to be a tough challenge for top Irish hopefulls Robert Heffernan and Colin Griffin. Heffernan, who successfully overcame two hernia operations last Summer before salvaging his season with an A Standard over 20km in October, has just returned from a training camp in Spain with Fernandez. Both Heffernan and Fernandez are coached by 4 times Olympic Champion Robert Korzeniowski, winner of this event in 2004, before successfully going on to end his career with a gold medal in Athens in the 50km walk. Fernandez, having won the 2006 World Race Walking Cup and twice World Championship silver medallist will hope to post a world class time over 5000m in his attempt to win gold in Osaka this Summer. Heffernan will hope to challenge Fernandez this weekend as he prepares for his season debut over 20km in Spain on March 4th, before competing in the IAAF Grand Prix Challenge in China on March 24th as he targets the World Championships in Osaka. While Colin Griffin, who returns this weekend from 4 weeks altitude training in South Africa, will hope to post a good mark over 5000m in preparation for his 50km debut in Slovakia next month, where he hopes to secure the A Standard for Osaka. Pat Ryan Regional Development Officer AAI 087 2621310