Ireland's Olive Loughnane today claimed a silver medal in the 20 kilometre walk in the World Championships in Berlin.
Loughnane finished 49 seconds behind defending champion and Olympic gold medallist Olga Kaniskina of Russia, who won in one hour 28 minutes and nine seconds.
The 33-year-old Loughnane, who finished eighth in the Olympics last year, clocked a season's best of 1hr 28mins 58secs, just over a minute outside her personal best set in Beijing.
Loughnane said: ‘We didn't know what was going to happen before the race but I felt very comfortable at the start.
‘I knew I was stronger than last year and this result was a combination of great tactics and technical support.
‘I focused on the process, not the medal. Everything helped me a lot, good physio, good doctors, psychological training and of course my family back in Ireland that is supporting me.
‘I promised my little daughter Eimear I was going to bring her a medal so she will be very happy. We all believed that everything was possible.’
Kaniskina's victory gave Russia their second gold on successive days in the walks while Liu's bronze was also the second successive third placing for them as they had also taken bronze in the men's race.
In steaming hot conditions the competitors had set a steady initial pace.
So much so that after 20 minutes there was a tightly bunched group of around 20 walkers with Spain's 2007 world bronze medallist Maria Vasco, Germany's Sabine Krantz and Norway's Kjersti Tysse Platzer - whose brother had been prominent in the men's race for a long time on Saturday - three abreast in the lead.
Australia's lead hope for a medal Cheryl Webb suffered an early blow when the 32-year-old Commonwealth Games bronze medallist got a first warning - she was later to be disqualified after receiving three.
Up front Kaniskina upped the pace all of a sudden and only two other rivals - Tysse Platzer and fellow Russian Anisya Kirdyapkina could go with her leaving a group of around 10 struggling to breach the gap.
Kaniskina's remorseless pace was too much for her companions and turning round the Brandenburg Gate with under half the race to go they were left trailing.
She quickly opened up an imposing 13-second lead, while Tysse Platzer looked to be leaving Kirdyapkina in her wake.
However, while Kaniskina simply got stronger, the other two wilted - both receiving two warnings leaving them on the edge of being disqualified - and they were replaced as the principal pursuers of the Russian by Loughnane and Liu.
Passing the 15km mark Kaniskina held a 56sec lead over Loughnane and Liu while that duo were a comfortable 11sec clear of Kirdyapkina.
At the same mark came the end of Tysse Platzer, on a high at one point and dreaming of a medal, as she was also disqualified, and distraught went to the barriers to look for her brother and got a consoling hug.
Both Liu and Loughnane got a warning early on the second lap, though, but Loughnane still had the legs to pull away from her Chinese rival - but there was no catching the impressive Russian.
A delighted Loughnane said: ‘We didn't know what was going to happen before the race but I felt very comfortable at the start.
‘I knew I was stronger than last year and this result was a combination of great tactics and technical support.
‘I focused on the process, not the medal. Everything helped me a lot, good physio, good doctors, psychological training and of course my family back in Ireland that is supporting me.
‘I promised my little daughter Eimear I was going to bring her a medal so she will be very happy. We all believed that everything was possible.’
