Boyce encouraged with 20k silver as pit stop costs the gold

BRENDAN Boyce was the silver medalist at the Irish Life Health National 20km race walk championships today.

A spell in the pit lane, after being red carded three times in the race, denied Boyce the gold medal at St. Jarlath’s College, Tuam.

Boyce, who led at the 19k mark, lost two minutes in the pit and was pipped by David Kenny, who had one minute and 45.63 seconds to spare after overhauling Boyce.

Finn Valley AC’s Boyce will be very encouraged with his display over 20km, a much shorter distance than the 50k specialist is accustomed to.

Kenny won in 1:28:03.60 with Boyce following in 1:29:49.23 and Jerome Caprice (1:34:28.05) was third.

Milford man Boyce was ninth at the European Race Walking Cup last month.

Boyce will now head for a training camp in the Sierra Nevada Mountains ahead of his departure for Tokyo, where he will compete at his third Olympic Games. Previously, Boyce took part in the 2012 and 2016 Olympics at London and Rio.

In September 2019, Boyce was sixth at the IAAF World Championships in Doha having earned Olympic qualification earlier that year.