Ireland has named a seven member team for the European Race Walking Cup in Podebrady on 21 May.
The standout name on the team is 39-year-old Robert Heffernan, a five-time Olympian and the world champion in the 50km walk in 2013. Heffernan will step down in distance to contest the 20km walk in Podebrady on the road to the World Championships in London this August.
However, the in-form member of the Irish team is Alex Wright, who has already improved his 20km walk lifetime best twice this season. In his last race, Wright clocked 1:21:17 in Rio Maior last month and will be aiming to improve on his 15th-place finish from Murcia two years ago.
The team also includes Cian McManamon and Brendan Boyce, who is entered in the 20km and the 50km walk.
On the women’s side, Ireland is represented in the U20 10km by Orla O’Connor and Niamh O’Connor, who both competed in the inaugural European U18 Championships in Tbilisi last summer.